A Thousand Summers
by GoddessofFlaw
Summary: "I didn't believe in heroes until the night you saved me." OCxItachi. Asami and Itachi Uchiha have been inseparable for years, however Asami's loyalty to her clan creates a divide between them and her remaining comrades. Though a supportive friend, secretly he admired her, and yet his emotions are compromised upon his decision to leave Konoha, and Asami sets out to bring him home.
1. Chapter 1

_He loves me_, a blue petal fell, drifting down to the earth. Soon another followed. _He loves me not._

Boys could make little girls a little silly.

The sun of dawn had kissed the horizon farewell long ago, the arc of the moon now amongst the stars in the sky. At a late hour things were beginning to settle; shops were closing and doors went shut as people returned to their beds for the night.

Asami, however, had no intentions on sleeping that night. The young girl was confounded by her thoughts; as any young girl would be she found herself trapped by the mental images of a particular boy. One who showed no definite interest in her, mind you, but a boy no less.

On a very unparticular night, the agile girl crept through the frame of her bedroom window and along the roof tiles, down the support beams and into the backyard. A train of lavender ringlets spread along the moist grass as the tiny girl stepped along, sitting only when she was before the fish pond.

Her eyes fell to the flowers in her grip and she smiled. And so began the adolescent medium that she believed so strongly could determine her fate. Tiny petals pecked the surface of the pond with their softness, one by one, following the chime of her voice. To be or not to be. It is or it isn't. He loves me, he loves me not.

Petal-ridden steps littered the grass beside her leg now, leaving a single lilac to quiver in her grasp.

"He loves me," Her voice knelled. There was but a single petal left. She froze, and the once jubilant girl frowned at what she assumed was her fate. Her finger twitched from apprehension. "He, loves me n- -"

The shift of brush startled her, interrupting her words. Asami lifts her head, immediately attuned to the disturbance of her surroundings. She drops what is left of her flower and stands as the rustling furthers and intensifies.

A darkly-shrouded figure bursts from the bushes and rolls among the grass. Asami takes a spread-legged stance, arms situated as though they were the makings of a bow and arrow. The dark tumbling mass found its way beneath the rays of the moon, and washed away the shadows.

The two boys untangled from each other, grumbling and dusting grass from their outfits. If not for the height difference it normally may have been more difficult to tell who was the oldest. The eldest's visage was defined solely by the lines that indented the inner corners of his eyes, while the other had a head full of rebelling ebony spikes and three-striped gashes upon his brow.

Asami's brows lifted, and her arms fell to her sides. "Itachi? Sasuke-kun?"

Color warmed their faces as they fought to catch their breaths, but still the eldest one managed to smile.

"Oi, Asami," Itachi had ignored his brother who tussled with a ball of fur.

"Itachi what are you guys _doing _here?" She whispered, just having remembered the hour. Sasuke stood with a triumphant grin and a cat in his hands. She gestured to the animal. "Chasing kittens?"

"Sasuke was very determined tonight." He explained sheepishly. Asami sighs as Sasuke held the wriggling kitten in both hands.

"Look nee-chan!" The raven haired boy struck out his arms, holding the cat before Asami. Her eyes bulged at the wild animal and she took a step back. "I'm just as good as big brother."

"Ahehehe. . . You sure are, Sasuke. . ." She surmised that this would be a night to remember.

The brothers hadn't left immediately, even after causing such ruckus mere paces from Asami's home. She did not bother to worry, aware of her family's heavy sleeping habits.

"What were you doing with all of these flowers?" Itachi reached to brush his digits along the bruised petals. Blood slowly churned within Asami, and set her face alight when he glanced at her.

"Nothing," She huffed, turning to glance at Sasuke, who had been defeated by his fatigue. He lay curled upon the ground with the cat in his arms, sound asleep. "Just couldn't sleep."

He plucked a petal from the grass and settled it upon the surface of the pond. "Shisui's been home more often lately. Getting more rest, I suppose."

It was only the mentioning of his name that sent her heart to erratic beats. At that moment Asami was grateful that her hair veiled her expression, even though he knew about her feelings more than she did herself.

"Have you seen him? How is he?"

Itachi knew this would pull her from behind her mask. He smiled, grasping an abandoned stem. The green extension was used to prod against the pond. "He's well. Maybe someday I will take you to visit him."

Asami's mind went off in a fantasy tangent. She shook her head of loose curls.

He glanced over when she silently protested. "What?"

"I wouldn't want to bother Shisui-san." She said quietly, a hint of a smile at her lips. Though it lessened her hopeful mood, she felt nothing but happiness for him. Asami was glad that he was well, so that was all that mattered. "He needs his rest."

Itachi took a moment to regard her silently before a smile found itself upon his face as well. He admired her selfless attitude.

"I'm certain he won't mind. He might even need your energy."

At this she perked up, looking to Itachi with shining orbs. "Really? Do you think he'd be glad to see me?"

He nodded. "I know so, Asami." Her smile grew.

There was a brief silence, and then a far off sound that was very subtle to the ear. Asami and Itachi glanced beyond their shoulders. A window exposed the glow of light.

"Asami? Asami, where are you?" She recognized it. It was her mother, voicing concern for her absent child. Asami sighed.

"I've to go!" She whispered, clambering to her feet. The girl rushed across the grass by only three paces before the boy caught her by the hand. "Nani?"

"I'll take you, tomorrow." He lessened his grip. "Alright?"

At first she was perplexed, but she found herself smiling, and nodded at his offer. "Yes. But only if I don't get in trouble."

Immediately he released her then. "Go. Hurry."

Asami took off once more, lavender curls trailing behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Get up," Morning came with a sharp command.

Asami sprang from her bed and her lavender ringlettes frizzed around her face. Her hands rubbed at her eyes and they woke to the worn face of her aunt. She stood by the door expectantly. Several chambermaids filed in behind her, prepared with hot buckets of water and rags. The window shutters were flapped open, and in poured dawn light. Beside Asami, a tiny lump wriggled around their sheets until a girl emerged with stray hairs and crust-shut eyes. Another child had been shielding her eyes from the intrusive rays.

Yukiji didn't bother to wait. One by one she pulled the siblings from their sheets and escorted them to a waiting maid. By looks she didn't seem very strong, but knowing the traditions of the Chinatsu clan one would warn you not to be fooled; it was her legacy and prowess that led by example for everyone. Her biggest example was intolerance. Weakness was not welcome in this particular household, and children certainly were no exception to this rule.

"Today is an important day," She said, pacing the room as the three girls were washed and dried by hand. "The elders, as you already know, have invited us for to the clan hall for a conference. Of course, none of you have any part of this discussion. But I would like to make it clear, before we depart, that you are to be on your best behavior."

Yukiji turned to Asami, their gazes held until Asami turned her back. Between her menacing gaze and the morning draft the atmosphere was frigid. "If any of you decide to act out of place, there will be consequences. You will not embarass me. I don't care how uncouth you all are." Her knotty fingers reached out to grip the second oldest by her chin. Io was often guilty of having an unfiltered mouth. "Don't think. Don't speak. If it feels too risky don't even breathe. Understood?"

Her eyes crossed each of their faces. The girls said not a word, but nodded their heads. Yukiji shouted again, and the chambermaids quickened their haste, sloshing the girls in water and soap. The Chinatsu house rumbled to life as the woman shouted orders through the halls. Footfalls echoed through the four-level estate, overlapping each other as people started their day.

The three sisters waited until the harpy left to speak again.

"What a mean old bat!" Io could hardly keep it under her breath. The maids of course remained vigilant but faint laughter mixed within the sounds of sloshing soap water. Io's enthusiasm could riddle a corpse in a giggling fit. She lifted her arms and a maid wound a black brace around her torso. "She speaks as if we woke her from bed!"

Asami and their baby sister Eru giggled quietly, all turning and twisting in their maids' hands as they were each bound and robed. "She knows nothing more than to be that way. Why are we meeting with the elders, anyways?"

Io's expression dimmed. She hesitated. It concerned her, the silence she received, and millions of thoughts crossed her mind. Once finished with dressing, Asami carefully sat at the foot of her bed, and kept Eru in her lap, braiding her hair in a quick, but intricate style. "Well?" She pressed.

As each of the girls were slipping into their sandals, Io said, "The elders aren't happy that Maori hasn't had a baby."

Asami's chest felt hollow. Maori's infertility had been a growing concern throughout the entire house for some time now, and it made tensions horrible to bear. For any normal kunoichi efforts to conceive should have been centered with warmth and love. But for this family, everything dealt with power. Their eldest sister had supported their home on her back with dedicated training and stead-fast skill as a ninja. Though without a suting heir, they were slowly starting to undnerstand that wouldn't be enough.

"I see," She replied. Asami shut her thoughts in immediately after.

The girls met with their mother, father, and aunt, and set out of the grand family fortress. The dawn sky was cold and gray. The people of the village started their morning working in shadows. The commute was a quiet ride by rickshaw. The district had soon been left behind. They journeyed through the center of Konoha and went further on to what appeared to be an unmarked path through a shadowy forest. Their escorts dismounted their horses and with several hand signs shouted their intent into the void and the thick shrubbery slowly receded, clearing a roadway wide enough for the carriage.

Several miles down that path had led them to one of the many humongous trees that hosted a large fortress on its high branches. Buzzing with lights and sounds of their own people, Chinatsu clansmen. Asami, Io and Eru lifted their heads and stared in wonderment; though clan meetings were a promise of hours of boring adult discussion it was still a beautiful estate. The architextural brillance of this place had lasted their family many years. It was an ideal safe haven, one that hadn't been seen before in the Konoha village, and years of success made sure that this place remained strongly foundated and beautifully decorated.

"Come you three," Their mother said in her normal, hushed tone. "Stay close to me."

They did as they were told, and followed their parents and aunt into the wooden and metal shaft that would ascend them into the clans quarters. Inside the halls and rooms were decorated in shades of pastel, green and black, and emblems of a wasp queen mounted alongside paintings of noble ancestors and legacies scribed on papyrus. There was a western taste to the furniture style here. Servants aligned the long hall in a bowing stance as they made their way.

"You may be seated here," Within the main hall a servant gestured to a row of chairs along a grand wooden table. Despite the family, the room was otherwise empty. They all arranged themselves at the table, leaving one seat at the center for Maori.

The double doors had opened, and in had come four older men, and one older woman. They each sat on the opposite side of the table. As they rose from their seats to bow before the elders, several others entered the room. Asami peaked, and recognized them to be their cousins, who were notorious for having the best fighters and the most children. The woman with black hair and silver eyes had been Maori's competitor, Ado Chinatsu, who was actually Yukiji's daughter. What they most had in common was their resentment for Asami's immediate family.

"I am pleased to see you all here, this morning," Elder Kurou expressed. "We've been successful in our goals these past months, and I will first say that it is all thanks to the hard efforts of each of you here."

"We thank you, for having us," Asami looked up as her mother spoke. Yukiji threw a grimace to her sister, before picking up where she left off.

"It is a pleasure to see you all again."

The elder woman Hoshiko smiled grimly. "Yukiji, I wish I felt the same. I've seen quite enough of you all for these same issues. I thought we arranged for you to stay with Mokoto and Shinji to avoid another call like this." She sighed. When she waved her hand, they sat.

"How many months has it been, since we appointed Maori as head mistress of the main house?" One asked.

"Four months." Yukiji said pointedly.

"And still, we have no sign of a child?"

Yukiji hesitated. "No."

"So, what is it then? Must we conclude that she is defective?"

"M-Maori will be pregnant," Out came Mokoto's voice. In her eyes something wanted to scream, but the feeble baritone of her voice trapped her heart. "She will. She has my blood. She has just been stressed - -"

"But for what reason?" Interjected Ado. She remained collected, but her intention was clear. "She lives in the main house. She has funds at her disposal. Servants. Nurses. Midwives. What could she possibly be in distress about?"

At this Mokoto fell silent. Asami read her face, and then her father, who looked as hollow from the outside as he must have been within.

"An absolutely valid point." Yukiji confirmed. She cross-examined each of the elders faces. "I witness first-hand the quality service at the main house. She lives lavishly, even has her own private quarters. I have searched but have yet to find a plausible reason or issue with Maori's health or mood."

"What possibly, then, disturbs your daughter, Mikoto?" Elder Daichi inquired, leaning in.

She looked down at her lap. Her defeat was visible, and the others continued without hindrance.

"Well then, we'll certainly have to appoint someone more appropriate," Daichi reasoned.

"Yes," Yukiji followed. "My thoughts exactly. Maori has defeated the other candidates, but it is my daughter who has come the closest to besting her. I believe, that with your permission, we may bring Ado into the mainhouse, where Maori will be free to reside where she sees fit. I'm sure she won't have to worry about stressing herself alone."

The elders chattered, seeming to agree with the proposition. Yukiji took this to her advantage.

"Besides, she couldn't even show up to a family meeting." The woman half-chuckled. A burning sensation rushed through Asami. "She obviously doesn't care what matters take place here."

Asami's eyes crossed the table, and met Ado's. They held their stares, and Ado had the audacity to smile while they overheard the elders speaking in favor of the idea. Knowing that it would be Ado coming to live with them drove Asami to madness. She compulsively clenched her hands under the table.

"Very well," Said the elder woman. "We will begin the preparations to - -" She pauses at the sound of opening doors. Everyone in the room had turned to find Maori and an unfamiliar woman by her side, arms crossed in defense.

Yukiji and her daughter looked appalled and disbelieving. Maori bowed, then took her position at the table's center.

"Forgive me, everyone. I have not been very well. I slept longer than intended." She murmured. Though she seemed reclusive and frail, Asami saw the air of importance she carried herself with. Her head was high, her posture straight. She looked confident even as the others in the room openly scrutinized her.

"Who are you to think you may enter a meeting, late at that, with an outsider?" Snapped the elder woman. She shook her cane, gesturing to the dark woman who stood by the door. "And who is she? I cannot believe this. Is this how you raise your children, Makoto, Shinji?"

"Please, forgive us, elder." Makoto mumbled, while she and Shinji both bowed their heads. Maori continued to look indifferent. The elder returned her focus onto her.

"Well? Explain this."

"This is Ahulani Keahi. She is my appointed nurse. I have fallen ill due to my efforts to conceive. She has discovered that I have fertility issues, and has come to provide me with the proper fertility treatment for the time she will be here."

"Why is she here now?" Noboru asked pointedly. Everyone else had been quietly curious.

"I've said this already," A sharp tone took her voice. "I have been very, very sick since I've been trying to conceive. Our nurses at the estate aren't too well with handling my condition. My husband contacted a very well-regarded medical ninja from overseas. And I've had the honor to appoint her. I ask that everyone respect her for her generosity."

Korou nodded slowly. "Ah. So, you have in fact, been trying to have a child."

For most of the time, Maori's eyes had been focused on the swirling patterns of the table. At his words she looked up at him. "What reasons would I not be doing this? I am to carry the next potential Queen."

He folded his hands. "I see. In that case we have no need to rearrange house placement today."

Yukiji's face was red. She couldn't contain herself. "Even after all this time of waiting - -!"

"Even after all this time of waiting," He confirmed. His gaze made her recline. "We will wait and support Maori's efforts to be with child." The elder woman whispered to the man, obviously equally infuriated. As Ado fixed her mouth, he lifted his hand. "There will be no questioning this decision, unless posed from us."

Elder Noboru smiled at each of them. "We're happy that this has been resolved. You all may return to your homes."

Each of the members stood to bow, and slowly filed outside of the sitting room. Asami approached her big sister, but paused at the sight Ado crossing her path. She and Maori exchanged long glances, before Ado and her family departed. Elder Kurou had taken her hand, wishing her luck on her efforts, and left as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Returning home was a journey that felt like forever with the brewing tension around them. Yujiki's wrath would not go unnoticed by any of the others, she made sure of that. She snapped at the girls, the servants. It seemed nothing would subdue her, satisfy her. The children had sat amidst their parents, Maori and Yujiki during dinner with their heads bowed. Io and Asami exchanged glances, silently trying to withstand the heavy glares that Yujiki was throwing around the table. Maori was hardly disturbed. With the newcomer, Ahulani at her back, she eats contentedly in silence. Yujiki could not take her eyes off of the heiress.

"What's the matter, Yujiki?" The entire time, Maori had her eyes concentrated on her food and drink. She lifts her gaze to meet her aunt's. "You look a little flushed. Perhaps my nurse can administer a dose to you to amend that."

Several beats of silence followed Yukiji's astonishment. She slams a fist onto the table and violent rattles the dinnerware. A crack splinters the table. All but Maori jumped.

"Who do you think you are? You ought to be ashamed of what you did!" Yukiji hissed. As she went on to spew her distate for Maori's attitude, Makoto instructed a maid to escort the girls to bed. They heard Yukiji shouting even well after they made it to the top floor, but once they were in their bedroom, it was hard to discern exactly what was being said. Asami could hear very little, but knew that a storm was brewing down stairs. She crept from her bed, and took the path out her window to stand on the veranda, where a door was left slightly ajar, peeking inside to see Yukiji throwing her arms around.

Maori remained unmoved, but her patience was waning. "I don't have to explain anything to you, Yukiji. I do not adhere to your laws."

Yukiji silently fumed, then suddenly rushed to her, tossing the table aside. "You spoiled, entitled little - - AH!"

Forgetting that Ahulani was ever in the room, it took the others by surprise when she took Yukiji by the arm and braced it against her back. "Now, you all can scream and yell all you need," For the first time she spoke, and her voice was even more intimidating than her demeanor. "But by no means will you invade her private space."

"How dare you!" She jerked, and the pain she felt rose on her face. "Release me!"

"When I do, you keep yourself in check." She gradually released her, and Yukiji yanked herself a fair distance from her, looking to Maori in her fury.

"I swear on it, Maori," She pointed. "I swear to the ancestors, you will get what you deserve for your manipulative ways."

"Sister, please, stop it." Makoto said desperately.

"You shut your mouth!" She ordered. "I have had it with all of you. It is me who keeps you in this godforsaken house. I convince our family that you people deserve your privileges. And for what? To be associated with your shame. To be disrespected at our meetings!" She turned to Maori. "You wretched, wretched, bastard child."

Maori's composure was invincible. Almost. There was a particular way that she said bastard, that hindered her thoughts. "Don't insult me."

The room quieted as Yukiji continued. "You think yourself so special, don't you, girl? You think yourself of noble blood? Of importance? But I know what you really are. My sister, too."

"Yukiji, stop!" Makoto pled. Maori looked at her mother in disbelief. Seeing her expression, Yukiji's scowl twisted. "What, she's old enough to know who she is, isn't she?" She slowly looked back to Maori. Makoto rushed to her sister's side.

"Please, sister - -"

"It's a lovely story, actually. The forbidden romance of a commoner and his princess."

Maori was quiet. Her patience had been the only virtue that kept her in place. Her aunt continued, pacing the floor as Makoto used physical means to stop her.

"Your mother was so noble! She got knocked up by some dirty old farmer boy, and when it was time to marry, left him behind - -"

"Sister!"

Ahulani looked at Maori immediately. Maori said very carefully: "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Don't listen to her, Maori!"

"I'm talking about your daddy, girl," She grinned. "I'm talking about the lies you were fed by your silver spoon in your pretty little mouth."

Maori paused. "You're lying."

Makoto, and Shinji, both had looks of defeat. They couldn't look her in the eyes. Maori's fury filled her eyes. She looked to her aunt, who seemed more than satisfied.

Asami, who sat outside heard the following of crashing dishes and glassware meeting the floor in shards. She shuffled slightly away from the door, unable to escape the catastrophe overheard. Maori was infuriated. She smashed things, screaming in disbelief. Asami was almost as distressed as she was. She knew that their family had many secrets, but nothing so severe. It burned her heart to think her mother could conceal something for so long.

The little girl rushed back to her room, and settled into her bed, with a heavy weight sinking her peace of mind.

A rocking sensation swayed her in the wisps of her faint dreaming. Asami reopened her eyes, quickly realizing that it was still nightfall, and that a shaded figure loomed over her bed.

"Hey," It was Maori. Hearing her voice sent a jolt to her senses. "Wake up. Sit with me, on the roof."

"Wha?" She couldn't believe she woke her up with something so asinine. "Nee-chan…"

But Maori had already made her decision. She gathered herself from the bed and tip-toed to the window. "Come on."

Begrudgingly, Asami slinked out of the warm space of her blankets and trailed behind her. She was sure to be careful, as to not slip due to her blurred vision. Her sister was situated on the slanted roof with her knees to her chest, staring up at the black sky. Thankfully, Asami's room faced the moon directly, and she let it guide her until her vision sharpened. She settled beside her sister, and Maori locked an arm around her.

Asami had expected some sort of venting session. She thought Maori would go off about their aunt, but she knew that the months had changed her considerably. The embrace felt like her sister, but her mouth was sealed. Her hands were like ice. At this moment in her youth, Asami learned to fully appreciate silence in its entirety.

"So, you must know." She broke the quiet.

Asami looked up at her sister. "I must know?"

"That I'm not actually your sister."

"Ah -" She shot up, breaking from her sister's embrace. "But how did you..?"

Maori looked to Asami. She smiled, briefly. "You learned through me about the broken door on the porch. I know all the trades and tricks of this house."

Asami's face turned hot. "Well… it's not true. I don't believe it."

Maori turned her attention to the tree tops of the distant forest. "Don't be silly. You heard it yourself."

"But, you are my real sister!" This surprised the eldest one. She saw Asami's expression. In her eyes, she recognized the affliction she was feeling as well. Asami was also angry at her insensitivity. In a way, the little girl woke her from her conscious coma. "You can't just suddenly not be a part of our family! I don't care what that dirty old mop says!"

Maori was frozen. Her body language screamed misery, self-wallowing. But a smile played with her lips. She bit back the urges, but tiny chuckles fell out of her mouth. Asami was confused, but it fueled her. Hot-in-the-face, she outburst, "What's funny?"

The bigger sister held her stomach, shivering with laughter as her little sister grew more irate. Just as she was ready to hurl her with her tiny fists, Maori hooked her into her arms and held her close.

"I'm sorry. You're right. Nothing's tearing us apart."

This was an overwhelming surprise to the younger sibling. She hesitated before easing into Maori's embrace. This was the second time that night, that Asami reintroduced herself to the joy of silence.


	4. Chapter 4

The main house grew tension like mold after a flood. Yukiji seemed far more busy nowadays, running errands in and out of town. Behind Maori followed whispers of horrible things Asami couldn't imagine people would say about her. Even some of the house keepers were less inclined to empathize with the heiress. More and more, Asami felt the grip on her older sister slipping. It was hard for the young kunoichi to sit by passively.

With a bit of convincing, and a white lie or two, Asami left the main house and went on her way to the other side of the village in search for her friends. Normally, the young maidens were monitored by fellow subordinates of the Chinatsu clan, but somehow she convinced her parents that she would be taking an innocent stroll through the park with a fellow kunoichi for the day.

Well, the story wasn't _entirely _false.

"GOT 'EM!" Shouted the ever vigilant Shisui. Having a free day to himself, he decided it was best spent with the others, Asami, Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha. Though Sasuke struggled to keep up, each of them had taken the task of delivering several stow away pets for the village locals.

Now racing through the park, the four tykes had caught their third kitten for the day, by lead of Shisui. They cleverly creation a four man formation, surrounding the kitten at the ground while Shisui scoured above. Asami had set trap wire cleverly ahead of the animal, and once it rushed against the strings, it was nothing to capture it. Each of them cheered for their hard efforts, and with the animal set in his cage, together they sat to enjoy the peaceful forest. Asami, being the thoughtful, homely girl she was, packed four bento boxes specially arranged for each person.

"This is the fourth time her cat's escaped, you know," Itachi remarked about the renowned Miss Kurani, who seemed to love animals more than they loved her. He bit into another flesh of his dumpling as his brother sniggered.

Shisui couldn't help to laugh himself. "I can't complain. It gives me something to do every spring."

Asami shook her head, quietly smiling as she ate away at her shrimp rolls. Itachi subtly eyed her while they prattled on, and waited to finish the mush of food in his mouth.

"That was a nice trick you did back there, using trap wire at the forest floor," He commented. It threw her off.

Shisui looked at her and smiled. "Yes, that was smart thinking. Very clean. Without that I don't think it would have been that easy to catch the cat."

Asami averted her stare. "No big deal, right?"

"The little things make a difference."

She was quiet even in flattery, and concentrated on eating her lunch.

It wasn't long before the other village kids filled the park to play, and the group had been swept into their array of games, the first being a game of kickball. Asami idly sat on the sidelines, fearing to further scuff her yukata and ruin her chance of a clean get away at home. Though prompted by her friends, Uo Furiko and Itsuki Minamoto, everyone knew that she had no business getting her hands dirty.

Still, it didn't hurt to try once in a while.

A hide and seek game followed, and as it was more friendly for Asami, she opted to be the receiver and counted down as everyone scrambled to hide. Her eyes opened. The fields were clear of noise. She took a moment to focus then sped off.

This game, Asami had practically mastered. Even without depending on her high sensory, her intuition was a force to be reckoned with, even at this age. She prided herself by every find, and even after scuffing her silk fabric she was bouncing through trees, unbothered by whatever trouble she'd face later. As she went further, a rustling sound alerted her. _Another one. _She grinned and stopped at a branch, looking down.

It was obvious that someone had been hiding in the brush below. She felt their energy. But as she listened in, she could tell that two voices were going back and forth with each other. A curiosity took over her. She lithely made it down the tree to tip-toe closer.

"I don't understand why you do this," It was a girl. She sounded distressed. Almost angry. "You say all of these great things, but act like I'm the worst person in the world."

"I'm sorry for that –" _Shisui? _" – I don't mean to make you feel that way. Understand why I keep my distance."

A tremor began at her hands. Asami urged herself further. _I need to do it, _she coaxed herself, reaching for the brush, _I need to see the faces_.

"Shisui, please…" It fell quiet. Asami had carefully leered over and saw Usami and Shisui facing each other. She had her hand on his face, and Asami remembered the glimmer in both of their eyes as they looked at another so intimately. At that age, she could hardly understand such internal emotions, but the jealousy that burned her insides made perfect sense.

From their end, Asami's looming figure was nothing but a mere shadow, and instinctively, Shisui fingered one of his stars and sent it cutting through the air. Of course it wasn't direct, he mostly wanted to give a warning to whoever was lurking. Asami let out a gasp and stumbled back. The two popped from out of the bushes. "What was that? – Asami?" Usami was utterly confused.

Her heartbeat was rampant. She was fighting to catch her breath but it was hard. Her emotions were swelling in her throat and it felt like someone threw dust in her eyes. The girl could hardly control her shaking fists. She looked at the two, and stupidity was all she could think of herself.

Asami began backing away, holding her cheek in her hand as it began to burn. Shisui opened his mouth. She disappeared.

She didn't focus on anything. Her mind was plagued with a thousand different things and there was no way she could connect with just one alone. Usami used to be no one in particular to Asami, just a girl people constantly compared her to, because they shared a similar name. Who would have guessed that they fell for the same stupid boy?

She ran clear through the village, and just as she was passing the bridge she knocked herself into someone's torso, stumbling backwards. A hand grabbed her by her wrist before she could fall. It was Jin, her guardian.

"Lady Asami where have you been?" He gave her a once over. "Look at your face! Don't tell me you've been playing with those kids again."

She was holding on so tightly to her strength. She didn't want to hear a lecture right now. "I - -"

He had already been pulling her behind him. "This is exactly why we forbid such play. Come! Yukiji won't be happy about this. . ."

They trudged back home quietly. Jin tried to pry more answers out of her, wanting to know if she had been playing with the Uchiha boys, a regular offense of hers. But he shortly gave up once he realized that she wouldn't say much. It took a lot of her to keep herself together. She didn't have the energy to talk about anything.

Once reaching the estate, they met Maori and her guard at the front entrance. She and Jin exchanged a few words, and out of it Asami only heard her sister say, "I'll talk to her." He left shortly after.

Maori waved her hand, dismissing her guard, and stood on the veranda facing her sister. Asami kept her eyes low.

"What happened?" She inquired.

"Nothing." Asami answered.

"You expect me to believe that nothing happened? Nothing at all?"

Asami didn't answer. She trudged up the steps, keeping her head down.

"You can't see them anymore." Maori said, and she paused.

"Good." She disappeared inside the house.


	5. Chapter 5

Days fell to weeks, and weeks, to months. Asami hadn't left the grounds since her final brush-in with Shisui and Usami. Having been homeschooled, aside from the upcoming exams it wasn't imperative that she or her siblings went anywhere. Aside from the Chunin exams, the Chinatsu clan hosted their very own tournaments and for a Chinatsu kunoichi this was far more important that the Konoha's exams. It would be these trials that would pit cousins against each other to determine where they belonged in the different living branches. Blood against blood, the Chinatsu tournaments called for rigorous training if one wanted to earn their place in the highly-esteemed estates, or else fall destined to being a laborer for the rest of their lives within the clan.

With Maori being a primary distraction in the house, it left little room for Asami and Io to properly train for next years tournament. Therefore, it was decided without her council that Asami would be personally trained in medical ninja care by Ahulani. Maori played a hand in this influence, arguing that she needed to have more intimate sessions of training for the sake of redeeming the clans image. Suddenly, it seemed, Maori had a more acute interest in enforcing discipline on the other siblings. They all had been restricted from socializing, as to provide more time to training and studies. She didn't know who Maori was anymore. And if she wasn't trying to dictate her life choices now, she was hiding away in her wing of the house somewhere. She began to resent her.

Though her fury made it easier to dedicate her heart to her progress as a ninja rather Shisui, Asami had longed to see her friends again. It was no secret the Chinatsu family was plagued with bitter resentment and unhealthy competative spirit; spending time with her friends was the only beacon of hope she had for herself. Still, she was blindly dedicated to studying and learning medicine. If the elders created this system, then being strong was her only way of freeing herself and her sisters.

A night came where Asami simply couldn't sleep. She tossed around in her bed while the house rested soundly, her thoughts clawing her peace of mind. From nowhere, it seemed, she started to think about her friends again. Itachi, Go, Uo, Shisui. She didn't want to think about them. It was much easier not to. But somehow they broke her mental barrier. She shuffled in bed until she had enough and threw herself to her feet.

_Enough_, she mentally growled, opening her bedroom window. She clambered through and climbed up to the top roof to sit alone and embrace the cold breeze that blew through. For a while, she was alone, but a presence had entered her personal space, and sitting beside her was Itachi.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

Asami sighed. She didn't want to do this right now. "Home, mostly."

"Everyone's been looking for you. We've been worried. Sasuke's been acting sort of paranoid, it's funny, actually." He smiled. It was little use.

"Tell them I'm alive. No reason to worry."

Silence. He waited before starting again.

"Shisui told me what happened," She looked away from him. "He said he was sorry."

"A person who's sorry would say it to my face." She abruptly stood up. Asami had enough. "What's he got to be sorry for? It isn't like it matters. I was stupid, to even think…"

Itachi got to his feet. "Asami, I know you're upset. But we all really miss you. We never see you anymore."

"You wouldn't understand why I have to do this. None of you do."

"Perhaps not, but I would like to try."

She shook her head, and for the first time that they spoke finally looked at him. To see her friend, who was always very dedicated and loyal trying to reach out to her, made it hard to speak. But still, she thought it best to faces her vices alone. She felt exhausted. "Please, don't ever come here again."

Before he could protest, Asami limberly jumped from the top roof, and returned to bed.

"Again!" Ahulani was shouting over the stream that divided them.

"For God sakes, Ahulani," Asami huffed in a sweat. "How much longer do I have to keep doing this?"

Asami had been training relentlessly under the care of Ahulani and her sister, Maori. Together, they created a regime for each of the three siblings to follow, however Asami received the brute of the pressure. For that day, she was ordered to practice manipulating her poisonous mist pH levels. And it took quite a strain to manage.

Chinatsu members knew well that their poison balance had to be in tune with their blood levels and other bodily functions in order to survive and be well, and so each member learned early to spare using their toxic nature heavily. Maori, however, was notorious for her incredible pH control and stamina, and felt it imperative that Asami learned her methods as well. Therefore, Ahulani and Maori arranged plantation life for Asami to practice on. At first she went through without complaint, but now, she was exasperated, and very fed up.

"I don't have the strength to keep up with this," She confessed. "I can't do it. Each plant has died so far."

"I decide when you've had enough. Again!"

Asami shook her head. _I wish I was blowing toxic fumes in _her _face instead. _She closed her eyes and concentrated, and then expelled a violet mist from her mouth, directing it to the next plant in line. As the chemical decomposition took its course, she watched as the leaves began to droop and the petals slowly shriveled, but, somehow, this plant did not instantly fall apart. It wasn't in top health, but there was a difference. It could be salvaged.

"Would you look at that... Hey! Look what I did! It's got a fighting chance!"

Ahulani smiled with her arms crossed. "Good job, kid. Let's head back. We're done for the day."

The first thing Asami did once returning home was find her way to a bath. She kept submerging herself in the hot water, simply embracing the plugged silence it created as her muscles soaked in the heat. A year went by and things had become so different. Yujiki was a quiet woman nowadays. Of course she was no saint but at least one did without her attitude every waking moment. With Maori's announced pregnancy, she had little say in household order anymore. Asami and her sisters seemed to always have their hands in something. If they weren't training, they were studying, and attending clan events and ceremonies.

Summer was coming to an end and soon would come winter, then spring. At the arrival of spring, the Chinatsu tournaments would bring the households together and pit the youth against each other. Though Maori and Ahulani assured both Io and Asami that they would be more than prepared, Asami was anxious. Its purpose was to reorganize the households. That's how it was decided who lived in the main houses and who would live in the sub homes. Sometimes, it was decided who would be banished from the estates all together as a Lone Wasp, depending on the circumstances. Either way, placement was vital, as it dictated what career paths many individuals would take for the benefit of every household. No matter how assuring Maori could be, she knew that one mistake could send her out of her own home. It could force Io out of the houses.

There had been several contenders who would be training diligently for a chance to take both their places, and she knew that she couldn't let her guard down. Though this was family, many of her cousins didn't care about each other at all. They would just as soon play on her naivety for a place in the main house. She had to grow a thicker skin for the sake of herself. Asami didn't care to live in the main house so much as she wanted her freedom. She wouldn't let anyone take that away from her.

"Asami!" It was Io, banging on the door. "Hurry up will you? I'm sweaty and gross too!"

She chuckled, and decided that she was well enough to get out. "Knock yourself out."

The rest of that day was relatively quiet. By dinner time everyone had come together to eat, and over the table discussed the upcoming spring tournaments.

"Do you think you're ready for the spring? Asami? Io?" Makoto asked.

"Yes," said Asami. Io merely shrugged.

Maori raised a brow. "Why do you doubt yourself?"

"I just feel like I should be much greater than I am right now, and I'm not getting any closer." She admitted. Though she focused on her plate of food like it was nothing, it was easy to note that this truly bothered her.

"Not from what I see," Maori attested, and Ahulani nodded. "You've improved tremendously these past months. It is your humility that has brought you this far."

"As well as you, Asami," Ahulani commented, taking the girl by surprise.

"Ah, you think so?"

The wise medic smiled. "Don't forget that we've been monitoring you, too."

Asami merely nodded in appreciation, focusing on her food.

"Well no matter what I'm proud of each of you," Makoto said. From the hall, one of the house keepers approached their mother, bowing to her ear to inform her of something. "… Asami. There's someone at the door for you."

This hadn't been expected at all. She dusted her hands and stood from the table. "Excuse me."

She walked down the hall where the front doors were open, and standing on the porch had been a girl. Before she could turn away and dismiss the guest, she was a foot away from her, and discovered that it had been Usami. Her eyes went round and suddenly a nauseating feeling began to take over.

"It's been awhile, Asami."

She quickly sent the house keeper away and slid the door shut behind her. "What business do you have here at this hour?" What could the girl possibly want? She had the boy she wanted. What else? _Forgiveness? Friendship?_ Sudden emotions came rushing back and Asami feared she couldn't handle it.

"I know that this isn't the best time -"

"You're absolutely right."

"- But everyone's so wary to come and talk to you. We've all been trying to reach you, Asami. Everyone. Uo, Furiko, Itachi, Shisui…"

Asami's lashing tongue withdrew. She stepped away from Usami to collect herself. The girl sat down, letting her legs hang off the edge of the porch. Soon, Usami followed her.

"Itachi says you banished him from coming here."

"I did. None of you are invited."

She winced. "I know I have no right to see you, especially."

Asami knew where that assumption came from. "Don't kid yourself. I don't know you. You don't mean anything to me."

"But, I know that I hurt you."

"What makes you think you have that sort of power?" Though she pretended that this girl had no hold on her, she did, and Asami hated her even in knowing she wasn't to blame for what happened.

"Because he told me. I didn't understand what happened that day, until he told me about your feelings for him. I never knew… I love him, too, Asami. I was fighting for his interest just like you."

Knowing this didn't make her feel better. She didn't understand why Usami would figure that it would. "Well, you won. Have your prize. Why make me go through the rejection all over again?"

Usami looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I just see it in their faces, each time you're brought up. They miss you. We aren't complete without you with us."

"Well did it ever occur to you that I don't want to have to _complete _anyone?" Her voice grew louder. "Did any of you ever stop to think that maybe I just can't act like it doesn't hurt anymore? None of you stopped to ask about how I felt about what happened. Shisui didn't even apologize to me in person but yet he's in _so_ much pain!"

Asami jumped to her feet, and Usami stood, holding her hands to her chest. "A-Asami, please…"

"Why the hell should I care what any of you want? I've got a life to live, I've got burdens on my back. And I was learning how to live without thinking about any of you! But you think it's that simple, to come here uninvited telling me about how _sad _you are? Please!"

A hand fell onto her shoulder. She looked up to find Maori, staring directly at the girl across from her as she cradled her stomach.

"It's time for you to leave, now." She spoke quietly. "Don't ever come back here."

Asami thought she had seen tears falling down her face, but Usami fled before she could be certain.

It took a lot of coaxing to calm Asami down, but once her emotions were settled, she went to bed. And even though she struggled to find sleep, she stayed in bed and kept her eyes shut, refusing to let her nocturnal habits keep her up all night.

As soon as she fell under, noise had shook her out of bed. She was fogged to the world around her until her feet met the floorboards. Someone was sobbing uncontrollably, and it filled the flights of the house. Looking around she found that she was alone, and the bedroom door was wide open. Asami rushed out into the hall where she found mostly everyone, standing alert and with grim expressions. Peering over the balcony, her mother had her face in her hands with her father holding her. As she slowly walked downstairs, she noticed blood patterning the steps.

It had still been night. She didn't understand what it was that had everyone awake at this hour. Her mother and father hadn't been able to even look up as she passed them, and the house workers were too busy scrambling around to acknowledge her. She followed the trace of blood and crying…. It led her to the front door.

Asami recognized Ahulani, who had been walking in direction of the front gates, cradling a body in her arms. Long, black hair fell over her arm and to the ground. Her sister's hand was limp and coated in red.

"Maori!" Asami couldn't stop her trembling. When Ahulani turned slightly to face her, her face was stoic, her eyes were hollow. Asami stumbled back. Ahulani continued on as Maori cried and cried.

Io followed up next to her as she stood, completely confused.

"She says she doesn't know what happened." Io murmured. Eru was in her arms as always, with her face in Io's night gown. "She says the bleeding wouldn't stop."


	6. Chapter 6

Maori was away from home for a solid week before returning. The miscarriage had withered her health considerably, to the point that upon her return she still had been dependent on Ahulani to haul her around.

No one said anything. No one made eye contact. She returned home and shut herself into the vast space of her separate wing. With their sister now at loss, Yukiji returned to power. A few days after her return a meeting was called, only this time, the attendants would be Maori, Yukiji, and the elders. When they returned, it was the same. Maori holed herself up in her quarters, leaving Yukiji to bear the news to the house.

"It has been officially declared that Maori is infertile," She stated before the house. "And we have been ordered to make arrangements by the spring. Come the annual tournaments, Maori will be relocated to one of the other houses, and Ado will take her place. The fate of you three, however depends on your performance at the spring event." She smiled at each of them. "May fortune be on your side."

Ahulani enforced normality within the house. People walked around as if nothing was lost, as if nothing changed. You would only recognize it if you decided to look the people in their face, and listened to how their voices seemed to crack under certain phrases.

The medical ninja had taken a reluctant Asami out again for training away from the estate. Once again, she had arranged several plants for her to practice on, and lately with her lack of rest, Asami had little will to concentrate.

"You aren't even trying!" Ahulani shouted. "This is a disgrace, Asami. The way you're killing these plants is almost criminal."

Asami's dull stare showed how she didn't want to entertain Ahulani's tough-as-nails antics. She gave a deep sigh before trying with the third plant, with, unfortunately, the same result as before. She started shouting again, and Asami pushed to drown her out until the woman found her way across the stream and stood before her.

"What now?" She sighed.

Ahulani placed her hands on her hips. "I've come to the realization that this planetary life thing has lost its luster. I'm going to provide some inspiration."

"You can't be serious."

The woman grinned. "Oh, but I can. Now come on. Try again."

"But Ahulani, I c –"

"That wasn't a request. _Do it._"

Asami's mouth sealed shut. Though she didn't want to do it, she was temptedz to harm her since she was so authorative. "Fine," She gave in. The girl shook her arms and closed her eyes.

An uneasy feeling crept over her. Knowing her subject was alive, no matter how annoying, was far more intense than it was to concentrate on a plant. She began clenching her hands, trying to somehow settle the tensions flooding under her skin.

She let the fumes build up in her lungs only briefly, and released it in a light mist, directing it to Ahulani's lower half. She wanted to keep her eyes shut, afraid to see what damage she might have done, but Asami forced her eyes to open. She needed to see her trainer's face, and seeing the confidence in her eyes made it easier to relax somewhat.

As the mist poured over her, Ahulani's expression contorted, and she noticeably held her breath. The moments ticked by, though there was little that came from her trainer that showed much damage being inflicted. Though still, Asami broke a sweat, and readily stood in wait to save her from the toxins. The smile on Ahulani's face was unprecedented, and Asami panicked, thinking it was a result of exposure.

"Calm down, for God sakes, Asami!" She shouted, laughing at the girl's expense. She quickly leapt over the stream to distance herself. "You did good! It'll need some improvement, but hey, look, my skin didn't melt off!"

Asami's face went hot with anger, but she sighed, deciding against any sort of repertoire. She just wanted to call it a day. "You're crazy."

They returned just as the sun met the horizon. Asami was mentally drained, and hunger was ebbing her every thought. Using their toxic nature meant sacrificing a lot of their own stamina, and with that exchange, they needed to replenish through rest, and carbs. Seeing that the girl was dragging herself by a thread of willpower, Ahulani decided to head into town, and together they sat at one of Ahulani's favored places, Go-Go's Grill and Spirits. Asami wasted no time ordering three different trays and breaking in her chopsticks. Ahulani, happy to see her in good spirits, clapped her on the back with raucous laughter.

"Ah, so that's the key to your heart!" She beamed. Asami was too busy choking down the lumps of food in her throat.

"Do you realize you could've killed me?" She sputtered, quickly following her food with a cup of water.

"You're as dramatic as your sister. Matter of fact, you eat like her, too. Is that a hereditary thing?"

This time, Asami couldn't help a short laugh. She picked up her chopsticks again, picking at her bowl of rice. "Well, actually our people used to use our Toxic Nature very frequently. . . so much that most of our time was dedicated to eating and sleeping to replenish ourselves. So it's more of a 'hive' mentality – we all collectively burn a lot of carbs so we binge eat to compensate for that loss.

But actually," She paused. Ahulani could see a hazy blush fill her olive complexion. "Years ago a lot of the women realized we were getting fat so we adopted the practice of binding. Waist training keeps us at our desired ratios."

"Huh," Ahulani smiled. "So that's what that's about."

"My sister didn't tell you?" She pushed away her second helping. A waiter silently gestured to refill her plate and she nodded. "It's no trade secret." True, their Clan was very private, but their customs were visibly foreign and it went under the scope of everyone's curiosity. Torso binding was the most common practice that everyone knew about.

"No, your sister likes to give away nothing at the illusion of giving everything away."

She quietly stuffed her mouth and nodded in confirmation. "It's how we're supposed to be."

After her fifth serving the two women set back to the main house, chatting along the way about several things Ahulani couldn't completely understand. Asami happily answered. Though it's preferred a Chinatsu didn't speak too much about their way of life, Asami saw no harm in explaining their traditions to someone so close to their household. And it was also interesting, seeing her reaction to a lot of the things she considered relatively normal. It made her realize that the world was much bigger than her clan liked to let on.

Only several yards from the estate, Ahulani's face suddenly fell grim. She stopped in her tracks, and braced her arm against Asami to stop her as well.

"Ah –" Her full tummy squished against her bicep. "Ahu - ?"

"Shh!" Ahulani was staring ahead. Asami shut her mouth and let the surrounding silence fill the emptiness. At first there hadn't been anything out of the ordinary, but tiny voices started to rise, and immediately Asami's sensory system picked up the panic that was coming somewhere not far off. A faded cry was heard, and the women ran together for the main house.

Before they could enter the front gates they had seen the ruins. The gates were oddly curled into themselves, leaving the entrance wide open.

"Someone forced themselves in," Ahulani said roughly. She and Asami hurried in, taking in the damages. Ahulani wouldn't notice it, but Asami had paid attention to the wilted flowers in the yard, the peeling rice paper from the doors, wall paint.

Her mother was at the floor of the foyer, crying, as her father consoled her, or at least tried to. Just as they entered, there was a white sheet upon the floor, with protruding, human features filling it from underneath. . .

"No," Asami said quietly. A nauseating feeling threatened to take over. "Someone forced themselves out."

Ahulani whipped her head in her direction. Her eyes were wide. Asami looked away, and nodded, watching her mother as she cried out repeatedly, "_Why? Why would she do this?_"

"It can't be. . ." Ahulani rushed up the stairs, jumping the banisters and skipping flights. Asami quickly followed. Not in disbelief, but in distress. Ahulani catered to Maori, but it grew apparent that Ahulani was not much older than her sister; they were friends, and Asami might have been able to accept what has happened, but could she?

Asami landed on the third floor, facing a gaping hole that was her sister's secluded wing of the house. There was so much noise surrounding them. So much distress. The maids were crying. Her sisters were nowhere to be seen. Ahulani was facing the gaping hole, completely motionless.

The lavender-haired girl stood beside her, taking in the mess her sister left behind. She was too afraid to see what Ahulani held in her eyes. It was a sudden and heavy burden weighing her down. Knowing that she was the official oldest now was something she never wanted in the first place. But now that title was hers, and she had to care after the others, and protect them from people such as Yukiji and the judgmental elders. There were too many thoughts plaguing her mind. She didn't feel as if she were actually there.

She left Ahulani behind, and started back down the hall. There had been several medical ninjas running about the scene. Three in particular had come out of her bedroom, and instantly her heart rate jolted. She rushed over, seeing them hauling a small body on a stretcher.

"Hey!" She rasped. Tears were already pending at her eyes. "H-hey, stop! That's my sister!"

She clawed through the crowd and stumbled over, seeing Io's face. Her eyes were dim. She wasn't moving much, but studying her she could see her chest rising and falling. But there was too much blood, and the left arm that should have been there had been taken from her.

"Please, miss, we _can't _help her if you get in our way!" One medic said desperately. She slowly stepped backwards, leaving her sister in their care. A fire began to fester in her heart. The empathy that she felt for her sister began to rot away, poisoned by betrayal. Her angry pushed her to search for Eru. When she found her, unscathed but rattled with fear, Eru could hardly speak. She had been crying so much that her brown skin was splotched with red patches. Asami took her in her arms and holed up in their room alone. Silence was a prison.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Chapters 1-6 were revised. Nothing important was missed if you've already read it. Just cleaned up the wording and shortened some stuff.

The elders did their best to keep the catastrophe a secret, but it was no use. Konoha had gotten word of the homicide and it spread like wildfire. As expected, the Chinatsu clan went in a tizzy. There had been an emergency meeting of the four leaders of each main household. Excluding Asami, her siblings, and Ahulani, they learned at the dead of night as the servants of the quarters that Ado was officially taking over with her mother, Yukiji.

Days passed and Asami couldn't seem to rest. She spent most of her days caring after Io, who was making a speedy recovery thanks to village ninja. With Io away, Eru clung to Asami's hip, especially with them now under the harsh gaze of Ado, and everyone, really. There was a lot days Eru came home scuffed from the academy, and wouldn't speak a word. Since that night, actually, she didn't talk at all. Makoto soon unlisted her, and she was home schooled from then on.

Asami visited her sister almost daily. She wanted to softly coax her to speak about the attack but Io wouldn't talk about what happened to Asami for a while. But by her second week, she began to speak again. It started with small talk. Happy that she was at least speaking, Asami didn't push her limits. She let her eventually tell her what happened at her own pace.

One day that she came to visit, Io told Asami to have a seat with her out in the garden of the medical center. She was well enough to go on her feet now, and frequented outside more often.

"That day was pretty long, to be honest," Io admitted, facing the fish pond a foot away. Asami looked on to her quietly. She sighed, and supported her weight against her crutch as she ran her hand through her hair.

"Maori didn't make a sound at all. Nobody expected her to snap like she did. All I knew was, an explosion let off, and when I left my room there was smoke in the hall. I couldn't see anything. . . But the maids were screaming, someone was calling for lady Warabi. Apparently she died instantly. Maori blew her through the wall. Scorched her."

Asami's stomach churned. She looked away, covering her mouth. "God. . ."

"Yeah," She saw Io nod in the pond's reflection. "I fought through the smoke to find her. I don't know why I didn't just leave, and got out of there with Eru. My body just kept going. I reached out to grab her, and she gripped my arm, and twisted."

A silence followed. Asami struggled to find the right words, and when she finally turned to her sister, she saw clears flooding down her face, and her body was shaking.

"Asami, I – I've never seen her like that before," Io looked up at her, hardly capable of swallowing her sobs. "I was trying to help. It seems like all I do is try to make sure everybody's okay but who's actually been there for me? I know she was sad but we were suffering too!"

Asami felt the urge to collect Io in her arms, to brush her hair out of her face and convince her that things would be okay, and that Maori loved them. She could feel her mind screaming at her body to do something besides stand there, watching with an open mouth, but she was useless. Io kept crying, holding her face in her hand.

"Maori was supposed to protect us," She managed to say. When she looked up again, her face was worn. Her mouth was still quivering. "She was supposed to make sure nothing bad happened."

Asami looked away. She couldn't believe what was about to come out of her mouth. "We couldn't count on that forever. . ."

Io was astonished. Her face burned hot. "Then she shouldn't have made that promise!"

"Io, you couldn't possible think she could have kept that promise. She's only human –"

"So what then? You're _siding _with her? You think she's exempt from tearing _my arm off_?"

Asami looked around. Several faces were peering out of the hospital windows. "Io –"

"No, go and say it. Say she had a reason to do this to me. Because that's just like you."

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

She gripped her crutch and turned to face her entirely. "Don't play stupid. You're an exact replica of her! You're a copycat Maori. And honestly, it's a little pathetic, how you parade around following her whim and acting like you're doing something special."

A sound came out of her mouth, but nothing followed. Two people approached Asami. She could hear them saying something about her overdoing her stay. Io's tear-streaked face was hard.

"Get the hell out of here."


	8. Chapter 8

Two months passed and the world got colder, both literally, and figuratively. October rolled in and the Chinatsu houses were buzzing, especially the main house.

In the new few months their annual tournaments would be held, and that meant little time for those who had hoped to prepare to win their place in the households. Io had made a very swift recovery, though her injury and prosthetic would take a solid year at the least to recover entirely. Asami had fallen away from her training, and with Eru being the youngest, she had no need to prepare. Still, she knew how drastic things could change at the expense of a lost fight. Though still mute, she had anxieties as well.

"With the New Year approaching, it is important that each of you do your best for the event to come," Yukiji was in charge of overseeing the training progress of the main house inhabitants. With the courtyard full of the to-be contenders, she spoke at the veranda with her hands at her back. "Like we do annually, each of you will be called to properly earn your house placement, and thenceforth will be guided to a career path that bests suit you.

Losing doesn't mean failure. Everything happens for a reason. I hope that your summers were not wasted and that you each have kept up with your training, because these next few months will not be enough for you to face those who have taken advantage of their free-time. I understand that this year there have been some, distractions," – Ado, who stood beside her with a swelling belly, chuckled – "But we can only hope that such things have not taken you off course.

However, there will always be black sheep. . . And to those who have done little to prepare themselves I say," Yukiji pointedly found Asami's eyes in the crowd. "May the best ninja win."

For each sub-family there was an individual trainer that specialized in helping them master their special abilities, and so the courtyard was filled with children training in various fields of skill. These days were the only few times Asami saw her distant relatives – most of them had been men, a few were women. They were either 11 or 12, like her, or 17-18.

The older girls had far more at risk unlike the boys. Men had often preferred to be foot soldiers of sorts, giving them better freedom of living how they pleased. The women, however, were destined to rule the roofs of their winning destinations, and if they lost, they had to file under another woman. In the scarce and competitive world of Chinatsu Clan members, the few women here almost refused to get along. They were raised on the competitive drive their parents preached. No one could hardly stand each other.

Asami had long abandoned the trainer who she filed under, however she soon noticed that out in the courtyard, Jin and Io were working together. Ever since her return, Io hadn't acknowledged her presence once. And even though she knew Io felt her gaze as she watched her train, she also knew that she wouldn't look her way at all. She entered the house, retreating to the kitchen.

Once she stepped into the room, she crossed paths with Ahulani. Nowadays, the medic woman was a rare sight herself. Yukiji made sure that upon Maori's leave that Ahulani had no place here, either.

"Ah," Asami stammered. She bowed respectively. "Ahulani. I didn't –"

"Well, look-y here," The woman smiled, putting her fists at her hips. "You're practically a woman now. It's been too long."

The girl averted her eyes at the sudden inspection. Asami hardly noticed that her facial features became more distinct in the past few months. "Thanks, I think. . . What are you doing here?"

Ahulani sighed, turning to lean against the counter space with an apple in hand. Rather bite it, she began to toss it in the air. "Well, actually, I remembered the tournament you've got coming up. With everything that's happened. . . it slipped my mind. So, I've come back to continue your training."

Asami's expression was unreadable. She truly didn't want to bother wasting time with training of any sort, but at the same time, having Ahulani back in her life was something she secretly yearned for. She grew comfortable with her presence, and having her gone made dealing with the recent catastrophe that much harder.

"Ah, I – well, thank you. That means, a lot to me." She said truthfully.

Ahulani looked down at Asami, taking in her subtle changes. She was growing, getting older, mature. Her eyes didn't hold the innocence it had when she first showed up to the main house. And parts of her she once expressed so freely were rigid now. It was a bittersweet feeling. She knew this girl. She knew all of the daughters. And they were all marred by the shortcomings of their clan's outdated beliefs.

The medical ninja smiled ruefully before reaching to ruffle her lavender hair. Asami stumbled back, flustered, but she settled, seeing Ahulani's laughter.

"Some things won't ever change, huh?" She spoke while departing from the kitchen, waving goodbye with her hand.

Asami stood erect. Her lashes dimmed. ". . . Yes, I suppose not."

Asami raised from bed in the middle of the night and carefully peeled her blankets away, meeting the cold floor by her feet. Come daybreak, Ahulani would be calling her out of bed and to the training grounds to resume their training. Then, she'd be thrown right back into the routine. Sweep the verandas. Polish the wood floors. Hang the robes up to dry on the clothesline. The girl forced those thoughts from her mind. There were things to be done.

She carefully tip-toed through the shadowy room. Just as she made it to the door, a hand tugged at her shirt, startling her. Asami's eyes shot down. It was Eru, staring through the dark and into her face.

"Eru," Asami cooed, kneeling before her. "It's far too early for you to be awake. Get back to bed."

Eru only shook her head, and Asami gave a resigned sigh before ushering her back in bed. She spent unmeasured time tucking the little girl in and petting her hair until she was asleep again, and was clear to make moves.

Asami reflected on her reuniting with Ahulani and it made her smile softly in the dark. It seemed as if it had been years rather a few months. Seeing her still dedicated to helping her, despite everything, was bittersweet. It would have been easier to not see her. It was slowly resurrecting thoughts of the events that marred her family that fateful night. Seeing Ahulani, although her intentions were good, did little to ease the sorrow.

She slipped through the shadows of the house and sprinted for the gate, clearing it in one lithe jump. The girl couldn't think about that now. She had been doing her best to get back to her roots. Even by doing so in matters she knew weren't the most favorable to her own clan, she felt that the sacrifice was a necessary one. Besides, what choice did Maori's departure leave her?

_None, _she ran through the night, pressing her teeth down on her tongue as her thoughts rose with the likened presence of vomit. _She hadn't even paved a way for us to survive. _Sisterhood. What a fallacy.

She shakes her head a bit to physically rattle her train of thought. It was better that she just kept running and not obsess over things like that. The fact of the matter was _she _was doing something about their circumstances.

Asami arrives to her destination in little time. She stops at the face of the familiar Uchiha district to catch her breath before detouring left, walking through a barren blue-grass field that was bathed in moonlight and buzzing fireflies that were flickering in their last moments of summer. The terrain looked like bladed sea water, shaking when the wind blew under her feet. A breeze rolled through and ruffled her yukata. The girl locks her arms around herself and lifts her shoulders. She trudged on, crossing the grass and meeting a shadowy figure at the edge of the woods.

"You've got impeccable timing," A voice commended. Quietly the person unveiled themselves. His mass of black curly hair and dark eyes fell under the moon rays and lit up brilliantly. Shisui smiled towards her. "I just got here less than a minute ago."

Asami swallowed. It had been several weeks that they were seeing each other like this, and she still had moments where it seemed to be surreal to have been in his presence so casually, again. But her determination clouded such thoughts. She'd have to just kill and bury those emotions from before. She smiled back.

"It's not like it's much of a challenge. You live right around the corner."

The boy sighs and hangs his head. "Jeez. . . I wasn't trying to make a competition out of it."

As they turned to the woods together, Asami nudges the side of his arm and sticks out her tongue. Shisui was ultimately thrown off, and slows behind her. "Probably because you'd lose."

Ordinarily, if you found yourself wandering through this region of the woods you'd wind up lost but to those like Shisui, if you followed the carefully marked clues on trees and rocks and dirt, you'd find yourself in a clearing, where miscellaneous ninja tools could be found littered about. A training grounds, that was mostly used by those of the Uchiha clan. Some time ago, Asami was given the luxury of using this clearing to her leisure by Shisui and, of course. . .

"Itachi-sama," Asami steps into the clearing first. Standing with his back turned hadn't made him any less discernable. She waves until he turns to see her exuberant face and smiles at her.

"Oi, Asami-chan. Welcome back." His eyes glance over to Shisui, who appears equally invigorated. "I told you these late nights would get easier. Are you ready?"

The kunoichi nods then carefully disrobes her yukata. The silk garment falls off her shoulders and exposes the black spandex and mesh material body suit and waist binder. While she busied herself with folding her garments, chattering about her excitement for the night's training, Itachi had forced himself to look away. This hadn't been the first time the Uchiha's prestigious ninja found himself transfixed by his childhood friend. And Asami remained none-the-wiser. Shisui had quietly glanced between the two then turned his gaze elsewhere.

Weeks, to about only a few months they spent their nights here, practicing in the art of taijutsu. It wasn't too long before Asami and Shisui reconciled. Sure, there were awkward moments that occasionally sprouted between them, but it hadn't gotten in the way of their intentions.

"I'm sorry," He said. Asami couldn't force herself to look him in the eye. Wasn't it her luck that the one occasion she was permitted to step off home grounds she'd be cornered in the town's center by the star pupil of the Uchiha clan? The girl fumbled with the bags in her arms full of grocery. It reminded her of her priorities.

"Excuse me." Her voice was barely above the dull roar of passing villagers. When she motioned to his right, he stepped in front of her. She tried again and still was toe-to-toe with him. She sighed, then forced her face to harden before staring him in the eye. "I have somewhere to _be_."

"I understand. . . but I can't let things go on like this." With persistence, Shisui lifts his arms up, blocking her path with all of his body. "If you just hear me out - -"

"Why should I?" She hissed. By now people were looking at the odd pair. She couldn't afford any extra attention. "What gives you the right to come bother me now?"

His eyes shifted away. "I – I guess I don't. . ." _Was he stammering? _

Asami stares in silence at the boy who's lost for words. "Five minutes. You get five."

Five minutes easily turned to twenty. Their awkward silence and staring took eight minutes alone. When they finally did get a start, time sped by. Asami hadn't been so used to being off-grounds for this long. It was even more bizarre that she was speaking so casually with a boy she could barely form a single sentence for only months ago. Shisui remained considerate of her time on the first day, and she let him believe that her aunt still cared if she obeyed her curfew.

The second day they met, she told him precisely why her well-being no longer mattered to the main house, and what Maori did that lead to their abandonment. When he seemed at a loss and decided to embrace her, Asami promptly knocked him on his ass. He laughed while she shouted over him, flustered and furious. On that day, when he realized that the girl who seemed only to hide behind a closed mouth and years of clan traditions was incredibly more than just that, something changed.

On the third day, he offered her a deal. With Itachi, Shisui would help Asami to hone into her skills as a fighter, and prepare her for her clan's annual tournament in order to earn a better life for her and her siblings. He understood her underlying desire to protect her loved ones. Of all things he lacked, fighting talent wasn't one of them. He reasoned that she needed that more than any relationship he could offer.

And so she accepted his invitation. Asami reasoned that with Itachi there at least, she'd feel a bit more comfortable. It hadn't been easy, getting accustomed to the late hours and the drastic shift of genjutsu to hard hand-to-hand taijutsu, but she never turned down any challenge they presented to her.

Standing between the two powerful opponents in the night, her progress was visible in the tautness of her muscles, and the precise way she held her stance. Open palms, crossing, angled feet. She moved in a style that was akin to the fluid methods found in baguazhang, a martial art that concentrated on defensive tactics and agility. While Shisui encouraged her to find her balance in defense Itachi drew out her offensive alternatives, acquainting her with the standard ninja weaponry and teaching her how to incorporate them into her style. Taijutsu had never been her greatest strength, but now she felt more prepared than ever.

Out of breath, Asami rests on the forest floor for a break. Shisui and Itachi stood on the edge of the clearing speaking lowly to each other. Shortly after, Itachi made his way over and knelt before her.

"We're going to take a break tonight."

She leans back on her palms and gives him a grin. "Don't tell me you guys are tired already?"

Itachi laughs quietly and shakes his head. "I admire your endurance. Which is exactly why I think it would be nice to rest up for the remainder of the night; your progression is nothing like I've seen outside of our clan."

Asami's face lit up at his words, and he smiled softly in turn, eyes forming into horizontal crescents. "I have you and Shisui-san to thank for that."

"I'd have to say even with our help no one could truly push past your potential but you, Asami. Give yourself some credit."

Her eyes briefly sweep over Shisui who stood not too far off. His arms were crossed and he seemed reserved, but even through the dark she could see the faintest smile on his face. The approval was suddenly overwhelming and she found herself blushing furiously. She grins through it, rocking her heels against the grass.

"Thanks. . . So! Where to?"

Itachi reaches his hand out, and when she takes it he helps her to her feet. "Now where's the fun in telling?"

Shisui steps in, looking more amicable than she'd ever seen him in a long time. "It's a surprise. Hope you aren't tired, because you're going to be doing some running."

"Ha! Do your best!"

The boys seemed to flicker beyond the trees, heading northeast of their location, and she quickly follows behind. There was a lot of brush and the further they ventured the thicker the woods seemed to grow. But something felt nice to Asami to laugh and hoot through the night like the rebellious spirits they all were. There grew a rumbling noise the faster they went. Water? There was a soft haze rolling in from the clearing just ahead. She held her breath until her feet landed in the soft dirt of their destination. It felt like forever that Asami could clearly see the night sky again. The air felt crisp once they stepped from the forest canopy.

For a long moment, Asami stands perfectly still and looks around herself. There was a rushing waterfall just a few yards away, and its rushing streams landed in a wide basin below, framed with rocks large and small. Asami slid out of her shoes, and carefully placed them on the ground with her folded yukata. While the boys stood idly stretching and staring out into the night, Asami tentatively touches the edge of the water. It's soft blue and crystalline. She wiggles her toes in the mud beneath.

"Ack!" She flinches a bit. "Cold!" The chill chases up her legs. She hugs herself, smiling down at her feet. Tiny fish slowly ebbed towards her toes.

Itachi had found his way to her with the likeness of a whisper. It startled her a bit, but this was nothing new to her. He always moved in silence. Her chattering teeth worked to grin in his direction.

"Are you nervous, about the spring?" Who knows how long they were out there, staring at the constellations and eroding their worries with laughter. Asami didn't count the minutes, and neither of the boys reminded her.

She and Itachi were sitting on the edge of the water, waving their bare feet inside the sparkling pool. She shrugged. "I've never been known for my strength. For anything, really. But I owe it to them – Io, Eru – to ensure that we are safe and not just thrown out on the streets. I can't really afford to be nervous, but. . ."

"I think with how far you've come, you'll do great things for them."

Her lashes dim. The smile on her face is soft, and a little sorrowful. At times like this it was hard to believe that she managed to get through without friends like Itachi at her side to help her regain perspective. It was warming and heart-tearing all at once. "Thanks to you and Shisui, I think I'm ready for almost anything." The girl clears her throat, looking out to the cascading water before she could see the change of his demeanor. Her voice seems to alternate. "You took a skinny little nobody and gave her a fighting chance."

For a moment she was too busy laughing at herself to realize she was laughing alone. Seeing how his expression dimmed sobered her. "Ah, I'm sorry." _What did she say? _

"You know," He started carefully. "When Shisui told me that you were coming back to us, I was relieved." Itachi lifts his gaze to meet hers. "Do you know why?"

Asami shakes her head. He continues. "Because I knew that in that house there wasn't a single mirror, a single reflection that could show you just how capable you truly are. Like a sacred seal, you know?"

"A. . . sacred seal?"

His hand touches the nape of his neck and he chuckles, though the sound is uneasy. "I'm sorry. I must sound silly to you."

"No, of course not!" Itachi had always shared funny little anecdotes and ideas with her before. What had changed now? "You've always been more poetic than I could ever be. I guess I just wanted to understand more of what you meant."

The boy carefully draws his feet out of the water and props his knees up to rest his arms. A breeze that crossed the water's surface had whipped their hairs around their faces. Neither of them resisted it.

"Well, I mean. . . I think nothing's changed about you. Nothing but your perspective. You've always been strong in the way it counts the most. . . I guess I just want to say how happy it makes me that you're comfortable with us again. And yourself."

For a long moment Asami's lost for what to say. The praise was very humbling. He was smiling so sincerely. She knew that he had wanted to say something to her about her leaving them all for a while now. He just never did. It was always Shisui reminding her how grateful they were. And of course it was just as warming, but nothing was quite like hearing it from Itachi. She had willingly hurt him and through it all he remained her friend, waiting and knowing that he'd help her when she was ready.

The kunoichi forced a smile. When she thought he wasn't looking her fingers quickly worked away the tears forming at the edge of her lashes.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Surprise made a subtle change to his demeanor. "Asami –" A splash of freezing water touches his back and he flinches away. Both look behind him to find Shisui standing expectantly, seemingly in attack-mode.

"Hate to break your heart-to-heart, but I've decided to make it easier for both of you and split us into teams. You both against me in a water fight. First one to get water-logged loses and has to pack lunches for the winner."

Itachi shakes his head softly before standing to his feet. "I hope you gain a few more cooking skills before tomorrow, Shisui."

Asami follows suit, punching her palm eagerly. "Ass. You asked for it!"


	9. Chapter 9

**s/n: I'm posting two chapters this week considering I haven't been online the past two or so weeks (Issues with internet, sorry!)

Definitely will be adding another chapter this Wednesday.**

Spring arrived with a loving winter's embrace. As everyone anticipated blooming flowers and melting snow, it seemed that the snow only piled on and the trees made no effort to sprout not one leaf. As sullen as that made the village, Konoha inhabitants trudged on with their lives in spite of the unpleasant cold. The Chinatsu tournaments certainly wouldn't be delayed at the face of the possessive tundra.

Clansmen worked day and night for a week on the grounds outside of the village, erecting wooden beams and setting down the foundation for a stadium that would host the hundreds of people for that day. Upon its completion, the architecture was magnificent. They built several booths for the audience high above in the trees, all with perfect views to peer down below in the basin of the stadium, where the fights would be held at a safe distance from the potential toxins, explosions and debris. Already, even in the snow, people were crowding towards the Chinatsu common grounds, anxious to reserve their seats. The yearly event had always proved entertaining and the family profited financially from their own kin and Konoha villagers who were just as interested in the blooming talents within the reclusive clan.

Anticipation made the atmosphere electrifying. Even inside Konoha people were spreading the news about the tournaments. It had been an occasion whose popularity was only second to the Chunin Exams. It made avoiding the hype all the more impossible for Asami.

"You're gonna do just fine." Ahulani encouraged. In the lower flight of Asami's home, they sat together as Asami stared herself in the mirror, constantly adjusting her gear and bickering about how she simply wasn't ready. "Just remember all I taught you in your training."

The young girl nods at her reflection. Her lavender hair frizzes around the shape of her face. She slowly turns and the dark floral-patterned yukata flows with her movements.

"You've taught me a lot in the past year. I'm nothing short of grateful to you, Ahulani."

Her sensei smiles and comes to stand, walking over to her. Ahulani rests her hands on her shoulders and holds her firmly. "Don't thank me. You and your sisters deserve nothing but the best. You're going to do great out there."

Asami had recounted her equipment and promptly tamed her hair with two French braids before leaving her quarters. Outside of her room the house was roaring with activity. Through the fall and winter months other Chinatsu members had stayed here for their training. Upon the awaited day, everyone didn't fully have themselves together. It was a little comforting to know she wasn't the only one who felt unprepared. She never fully stared the potential opponents who crossed her path in the face. At least, not until Io stood before the front gate with Jin at her back.

Her eyes were olive shards. Io had matured like Asami – made of muscle and discipline. The youthful roundness of her face had even thinned out to frame prominent cheekbones and a defined jaw. She hated to admit it, but her younger sister had an air about herself that matched the intensity of Maori's.

"We came to wish you good luck." Said Io. Jin had followed her actions to bow before them.

Ahulani and Asami exchanged glances before obliging them with the same courtesy. "Thank you." Asami stood upright once more. "I won't wish the same for you, though. You won't need it."

Io's expression never faltered. It was a surprise to have heard her speak to her but she wouldn't expect any more from her. They crossed ways, moving in opposite directions.

Almost as soon as they entered town, villagers who recognized Asami waved toward the clanswoman and shouted their hopes of good luck to her. Other clansmen who walked through the crowded streets were met with the same courtesy. On this day every spring the Konohagakure hung decorative signs and flowers on posts and banners and storefronts. Shops and diners had discounts for everyone to enjoy, including additional price markdowns for Chinatsu clanspeople, which Asami and many others avidly took advantage of.

They ate light before continuing their walk. Upon arriving to the area in the forest, she and Ahulani were swarmed by crowds. Booths and horse carriages and vendors with floral-patterned banners shouted to the moving crowds with promises of foods and prizes. Several new additions were visible from the ground; large screens were erected above the stadium and overhead of the audience booths, and there was an intercom system installed at every corner. Contestants and spectators filed in, talking loudly and sharing their excitements and fears. Ahulani glanced down at Asami. She had been unmoving the entire way there. It seemed the moment they left the house all of her doubts eroded. At certain angles, she could see flashes of Maori rising from her features.

The tournament announcers spoke over the large intercoms, giving directions to the contestants to file in behind the scenes to divide them from the audience members. Asami glanced around to see adults and loved ones embracing their kids, wishing them the best in their efforts to win. Ahulani's hands fell down on her shoulders and to her surprise the woman gave her a shake. "No matter what happens, know that I'm proud of you. You're gonna do great!"

Asami smiled sheepishly. "Thanks."

The Chinatsu Clan tournaments are arranged in three stages, divided by rank. The younger talents kick start the event, as their fights are often brief and light. To Asami's relief Eru was a year or so under the age requirements for the youngest tournament stage. The thought of seeing her youngest sister in the stadium fighting for her place in the clan made her feel queasy. She wondered if her mother went through the same wave of emotions year after year with them.

An intermission followed after the second-half of the first series of fights. To her surprise, Ado's young brother Katsu was falling behind. She saw them, Ado and Yukiji as she walked around the stadium. Not too far off they were clearly berating Katsu, who kept his head down. _Anything to just get through it. _Asami knew that body language all too well.

She carefully makes her way through the crowds, ready to head in the backstage rooms for the contestants before she hears her name being called. She turned around, seeing her parents standing several feet away. Asami's break hitches at the sight of them. She could feel the overwhelming urge to cry but she bit it back, running into her father's arms. Shinji held her tight against his chest, barely remembering to share her with her mother. But Makoto didn't mind. Her hands fell gently upon her hair and back. Maori's disappearance had caused a rift inside of their entire household. Rather having the girls sent out of the house, Makoto and Shinji opted to take their place, leaving room for her sister and her immediate family to take their space. It had been months since she saw them.

"I'm so happy to see you," Makoto said. Asami withdrew to stand between them, smiling organically in what felt like too long for her taste. It comforted her parents to see her this way. Her mother looked at her entire appearance, and her eyes lit up. "So strong! And so proud! You look beautiful."

She blushed a deep rose color. "Thank you. How did you guys get here?" Her parents had been transferred to one of the houses outside of Konoha to accommodate for Yukiji's family. Asami knew her mother and father couldn't have had much money for a trip back home this short notice.

Shinji nodded in the opposite direction of her. Turning slightly, she sees the figure of Ahulani, who was exchanging coin at one of the nearby food vendors.

"Ahulani Sensei provided us with transportation and board for the next two days," Shinji said appreciatively. "Your teacher has been very helpful to us. There's no way we could possibly thank her."

Asami's eyes lingered on Ahulani's distant figure for a few moments before she looked up to both her parents. "I'll just have to do my best." They lifted their heads at the voice of the intercom. "You guys better hurry and reserve your seats."

"Good luck!" Her mother shouted. By then Asami had already been darting through the crowd.

The stadium was quickly resorted and cleaned before the next rounds would follow. The conclusion of the second-half resulted in a lot of the younger talents to have won or been disqualified, left to be rearranged according to their rank. Now that the older contestants were sparring, things were getting more interesting. It was no surprise seeing Yukiji's younger daughter, Hanae, had been breezing through her matches.

Winning fighters were soon losing to the newer contestants, narrowing their rivals and extending the lifespan of each individual fight. Although spectators were aware of the burdening consequences of Chinatsu fighters in the annual tournaments, these events always proved to be entertaining. This clan had been known for their attitudes towards outsiders, though many hardly blamed them. They were full of talented ninja whose lives centered on competition and being better than the rest. It wasn't rare that the fights were explosive and exhilarating.

Asami had even found herself in awe watching her family fight each other. It was hard to witness, but still she felt a small sense of pride in her kin's skillsets, and how they readily improve themselves every year for these face offs. She wondered, as one of the matches came to a gradual end, how many of them were going through circumstances like hers. She also wondered how many would be watching for her and sister as they knew of the pressure of Maori's disappearance. A disaster like that would leave any person weak and vulnerable. It's what the other contestants would be counting on. Asami would take advantage of their underestimation.

The moment had come when Io's name was announced over the loud speakers, and she entered the arena to face her opponent, Wakana. Wakana hailed from the house that was predominantly men, and was known to be the strongest in her branch. In the past two years, no one had managed to match her strength in the arena. She was shocked to see that the string of events had led to Io's first fight to be against someone who was otherwise undefeated. It wore at her nerves and she found herself sitting at the edge of her seat. She knew that Io's chances of losing were very real now, and if she fell at the hands of Wakana, she'd have to clear her when it was her turn to enter the arena.

The match started with an intense standoff. Both were in their respective stances, weapons in hand. Io held an elongated blade from her dominant hand above her head. Wakana had a pair of heavy gauntlets that masked her hands. The two had slowly paced around each other in light footsteps, one foot crossing the other, treading a circle formation. The arena fell in silence. The anticipation for the first strike made Asami's skin crawl. She could only pray to the gods that Io would come out okay at the end of this battle.

They darted forward simultaneously, and their weapons collided with a loud clang. Withdrawing quickly, the two girls had geared forward again, and a series of swift collisions, metal-to-metal, followed in erratic patterns. They kept in close quarters, never letting the other drift far from reach. Surprisingly even with such heavy weaponry both the girls were able to remain swift in their offensive and defensive attacks, sprouting off their feet like firecrackers.

Only the trained eyes of fighters in the audience would do well keeping up with the snapping motions of the fighters, as they were moving and evading each other at a pace no one would anticipate with the weight of their weapons in hand. And unlike some of the other fights, both Wakana and Io were talented in taijutsu, leaving little place for genjutsu or flashy attacks that were filled with smoke bombs or colorful poison attacks.

A grunt came out of one of their mouths. When Io went reeling back Asami knew that she had taken a blow from Wakana's gauntlets. She recovered quickly before her opponent could land a blow on her and stepped sideways, missing an impact that splintered the arena's tiling. Quickly, Io spins forward, and lands a blow with her blade just as Wakana lifts her fists to block it. Though her form is flawed, and she stumbles back, leaving herself vulnerable to a series of blows that sends the crowd in an uproar.

"_GO!_" Asami sprang from her seat and throws her fist in the air. The tension from their fight has her so wound up that she barely thinks twice before jumping out of her chair.

Wakana's defense is slowly eroding. She makes an effort to strike back but her weapon of choice is a mistake; the need for close-contact is no good against a longsword that can cross several inches ahead with one swoop. Io spares no time and continues her onslaught, keeping her opponent as far from her as possible with powerful spins and jumps that strengthen the momentum behind her blade. Io never stops, even to the surprise of herself and the audience Wakana's gauntlet's clap on both sides of her blade. Io releases the sword and quickly charges a spinning heel kick to the outside of Wakana's right wrist.

The force sends Wakana veering sideways. Time seems to draw by the longest of seconds. Asami stays on her feet, gripping the back of someone else's seat as the crowd goes deathly quiet in the next passing moments. Nothing could be heard but the blow-for-blow exchange of the two kunoichi. Wakana was wilting with the pain of what would likely be a sprained or broken wrist upon inspection later. Io managed to bring Wakana near the edge of the stage, and with the slightest, shortest opening the girl draws her hand back and springs forward, directing an open-palm blow to Wakana's chest. The force of her strike was so brutish it sends the girl wheeling backwards by several yards, clearing the entire ring.

Spectators erupt from their seats, cheering and shouting praises to the rookie underdog who had singlehandedly defeated an all-time winning contestant. Io had been the first rookie to defeat a long-running champion in years. Before her the only kunoichi who had claimed a similar victory had been their sister Maori. In short the stadium had been more than vocal of their surprise and praise. Asami had been one of the loudest, standing in her chair, screaming at the top of her lungs. Io was confused at first, still standing in her offensive stance before her eyes lifted to the stands above her roaring in appraisal. She slowly accounted the hundreds of faces cheering from above before a sheepish smile broke her demeanor.

Io's full body image appeared on the big-screens, animated confetti and a blaring print of the words **_Winner! _**Centering the view. Seeing her sister as happy as she was brought tears to Asami's eyes. She clapped and hollered despite her voice being so small in the audience around her. Io had found her sister's brown face in heavy crowds and lifted her fist and she beamed down at her with pride. Relief filled her sister and eroded all of the apprehension she carried in her those past months. They could do it. Together they could fend for themselves.

When it was time for her to prepare for her first match, Asami hadn't been as anxious as before. She was more than proud of her sister Io, and now she had to prove herself just the same. Her sister seemed to have all the odds against her, and yet still came out on top. Could she have the same chances?

"Asami!" A voice called out over the clamor of the changing rooms. Just as she finished slipping into her chakra shoes she stands to her full height, searching for the source. Not too far to her left were Io and Jin. Now closer, she could see the minor bruising and her fringed yukata. But she was grinning, wet tears and scratched face hardly dimming her happiness. They ran to each other and locked into a tight embrace, stumbling to keep their balance and talking over each other.

"You were so brave out there! How did you –"

"I was terrified Asami I could hardly even remember to breathe it was –"

"So goddamn _incredible _everyone was so proud of you! I'm so –"

"Happy to see you! We can do this, together!" She stopped to catch her breath, staring into her sister's face with a broad smile.

Asami nodded and rubbed the tears off her face furiously. "Yes. Together."

It wasn't all good. With Io's significant victory the talk of the entire stadium, she and her sister were the source of envy amongst their cousins. As the tournament went on, their presence only meant one thing; Io had to be defeated. And what's more, Asami had to be defeated before she got a running start herself. She was the older sister of Io, so of course it was assumed that she was just as much of a force to be reckoned with. Walking through the changing rooms was like trudging through a proverbial swamp. The whispers and harsh glances were heavy but she stood tall and deflected it. _Nothing but noise. _She had heard worse whispered about her.

Asami's first opponent had practically handed over her victory; the girl was overconfident. She reasoned that executing an unpredictable fighting pattern would work to her advantage, which is until Asami had danced around her and let her walk herself into her fists and kicks. Her mistake had been rushing into attacks with no source of counter-defense to reel her back into safety when those attempts failed. Though it was laboring, Asami had her opponent face down out of the ring not too long after stepping in it. She wanted to revel in the cheers but she decided to completely blot out any outside influence; Io had been pummeling her way through the preliminary matches on her own which helped, but it was now up to Asami to go big or go home. She'd have to win their title back. She'd have to make them head of the houses again.

Between matches she sat with Ahulani, going over their training and eating massive portions of food. It helped to rejuvenate her body and more aptly block out the taunting voices of her potential competitors. Though to everyone's surprise, when Asami stepped foot inside the arena once more, for her final round, she stood yards across from Hanae. The audience had been subdued to murmurs of confusion and anticipation.

It turned out that this would be the second fight that had been paired with an underdog and an all-star. Hanae had single-handedly taken the passing torch of her older sister when she had outgrown the annual matches and won her battles by a landslide every year. She had only lost a fight once, and that year it had been ruled as a tie. Asami knew that the odds were against her this time around, and it hadn't helped that she had tired herself with the other matches. But still, she counted on Hanae being equally fatigued.

Like the rest of her matches, before starting, Asami disrobes her yukata, and opens a pair of metal-slated fans in both her hands and takes her stance. Hanae readies her baton, standing in a defensive posture. The customary cross-circle walk begins, and they observe each other with concentrated gazes before both launching from the ground with a burst of energy, both bodies lifting into the air and rocketing towards each other.

As they grow closer, Asami readies her two fans, holding one far behind and the other horizontal to her chest. When snapping her arm forward, she sees that Hanae has quickly evaded the strike by veering to her left. Their eyes meet, and a shiver bolts up her spine.

**_You're going to die here_**_._ The words erupt inside of her skull and as they cross paths she's disoriented. Hanae takes her baton with both hands and strikes the butt of the blunt weapon into Asami's gut, knocking her back down. A breath escapes her and she lands roughly. Quickly tucking and rolling she's back on her feet, and hears the cheering of the crowd behind her dully. Her temples are throbbing. Was she psyching herself out? She quickly catches her breath and braces herself for Hanae's forward attack, following in a dance of spins and kicks to throw off the striking baton and hold her ground. But now the stillness she trained her mind for is in shambles. A nauseating feeling seeps into the corners of her mind and slowly floods her thoughts.

Asami strikes out impulsively, and like before Hanae manages to evade the attack. Even at the speed of her blows Asami was continuously missing. She took left, then right. Down, up, right, left, left. No use. Hanae had been slipping past her metal fans in fluid motions, hardly breaking a sweat. And just as she thought to switch maneuvers and lift her leg for a kick, Hanae's hand was there to meet her shin. Their eyes met, and Asami could see the small smile on her face.

**_Your legacy ends here, Asami. I'll kill you, then your sisters. _**The voice was not her own. It was not familiar to her. And its uninvited presence inside of her head was drilling her skull with pain. She clenched her teeth. Her vision was hazing, the longer she stared into Hanae's eyes. They shone a faint golden color. **_And then we'll put an end to your beloved mother and father. I will tear your empire down. _**

**_Brick._**

**_By._**

**_Brick._**

She hadn't realized how long they had been standing there, her with her leg still in mid-strike against Hanae's hand, straining against the blockade. It was too easy, the way Hanae had taken her leg and spun, launching her to the opposite side of the arena. When she flew mid-air, the eye contact broke, and her vision returned. Though her head was throbbing, she fought past the sensation, and performed a series of hand signs. Two shadow clones sprouted, as one caught her and landed her safely within the arena stage the other ran forward, performing another series of hand signs and unfurling a gust of fire, orchestrating the flames with her fans.

The crowds were confused at the sudden decline of Asami's endurance. What exactly had been going on here? As she carried on with her attacks, it seemed that she still had the same talent as before, but her demeanor had changed significantly. Especially now since each effort was easily avoided and countered. Though she was knocked down multiple times she did her best to remain in the ring.

Her trial with the shadow clones had confirmed her worst fear. Hanae's success was in fact too good to be true. She was cheating. Using a traditional but hard-earned kekkei genkai that allowed a person to invade a fellow clansmen's mind. But this would be impossible considering that in order to share mental links it had to be equally consented. Only elders had the power to invade a clansperson's mind without permission.

Another shadow clone erupted from smoke and they both tossed a seal-tied kunai at Hanae's feet. Upon contact the parchments blew up, and immersed the stage with smoke. Hanae had already launched above, and dived back down, baton-first, anticipating a landing. When she crashed down on Asami's unsuspecting body it imploded. Emerging from the side out of the faint violet haze was Asami, who executed a quick attack and struck forward with her fans, though at the last moment drops the weapons. Rather the traditional palm strike Asami punched Hanae clear across the face. This had been the only attack her mind had not processed fast enough to evade. The girls' body went flying across the tile. She had landed only centimeters before the conclusion of the arena stage.

Asami took a fan and rotated the slates until the faint smog had cleared the stadium. As Hanae got back to her feet, she tossed the weapon to the ground, and kicked both away from reach.

"I'll take you on without these. I don't care if you screw with my head!"

Hanae hacked a wad of blood to the ground. "There's no doubt you come from a line of talented ninja. Too bad I'm going to crush your winning streak."

Asami assumed a crouched stand, with one palm leveled at her hip facing outward, and the other one angled forward. She quietly levelled her breathing, and waited for Hanae to strike. In a flash she was across the arena, weaponless as well, throwing her palm forward. Asami's arm deflected the strike and threw it down, disturbing her balance before striking her fingers pointedly at her vulnerable collarbone. Hanae reeled back on contact. They threw themselves at each other again, exchanging a series of palm strikes, dancing around each other. Though Hanae could see what her next moves were, it wasn't very useful if she wasn't fast enough to counteract it. She had been able to block and weave out of the way, but her mind wasn't fast enough to counter attack.

It was only when she managed to force a bit of distance between them did Hanae conjure something up. With a quick execution of hand signals, she concocted a mist that quickly flooded the arena. With a jutsu preset in the stadium, the audience had been protected from the potentially toxic fumes, but Asami's mind went into a panic; the amount of poison it took to fill this many meters was compromising. How was Hanae doing all of this?

Her concentration now interrupted, she had left her mind vulnerable. Their eyes had met right before her figure faded behind the blue billowing fumes. Asami, quickly recovered, taking a mask from her pouch and placing it over her mouth and nose. Her vision had already been slightly blurred, but she could still rely on the rest of her senses. She kept her stance, slowly surveying her surroundings.

**_I hope you didn't have high hopes of winning this tournament, Asami. . . _**The kunoichi had closed her eyes, and slowly walked along the tile, one foot across the other. **_You did well coming this far, but it was all for nothing._**

The words were ringing in her head violently, so much that it soon seemed as though the very words were reverberating out loud, in the very arena. She sensed Hanae slowly closing in, but as she worked to focus on her exact location, her senses were erratically aiming her to several spots around her. And each potential target had been gradually zeroing in on her.

"Your sister isn't here to carry you on her back anymore." Asami threw a star to her left. It whistled through the air, and planked right into a source that soon _poofed! _Out of existence.

"Io's also been shouldering the mess she's left for your family. But from what I can see inside of you. . ." The girl threw a paper-laced kunai forward. Silence. And explosion followed and she shuffled back, holding up her arms to deflect any potential debris. ". . . You've convinced yourself that you've done something positive for your family by being loyal to a traitor. By going to outsiders."

Laughter surrounded her, layers of laughs and voices grew and grew. She started running blindly until she ran into a blunt object that rammed right into her gut. A figure sped past her, striking her shoulder, and before she could follow the source something else had come running past, striking the other side of her body, she had only been able to faintly brush whatever forms had been tag-teaming her, since opening her eyes had only exposed them to unbearable burning and nothing but mist for yards ahead.

She braced herself with a kunai, and heard the satisfying implosion of a few clones but it was no use. A kick to her back had brought her down. The mist had been slowly eating at her. She could feel a numbness starting in her toes and fingertips. A foot nudged her on her side, and she let out a cry of anguish before falling down to her back.

Carefully, Hanae straddled her torso and leered over her. Asami could only see the faintest outlines of the girl, but her amber eyes were prominent, piercing through the thick smog. She placed her hands around her neck with gentle precision, before beginning to slowly apply pressure with her fingers.

"I'd like to make it easier for you, Asami." She murmured. Her voice had been so soft, as though her words were tokens of endearment. Asami had fought the paralysis as she could, but it had eaten at her mobility quicker than anticipated. Her breaths shortened as she tried to resist. "I mean. . . you were going to die anyways. Your family is too much of a mess to simply leave behind. So I'll do it here. I'll kill you. And when the fog subsides, I'll say you overextended your chakra. That you fought hard and mighty. But at least this way, the village will know that you died as a Chinatsu. True and noble. . ." Hanae turned her face for a moment to laugh before facing her again. She nudged the mask under her chin. When she opened her mouth to speak again, a stronger mist poured out of her maw, and fell down Asami's face. "Don't be afraid."

_Let go, Asami. _Didn't it seem easier to do just that? Her limbs were wriggling hopelessly, and her consciousness had started to blacken at the edges. Despite her best efforts, her eyelids had shut over her poor vision. Perhaps it was time to finally let go.

All of the stress. All of the sadness. The struggling. . .

Her senses went under. Total darkness. The pain in her body had dulled. Soon, she knew that she would feel nothing.

The moment of darkness slowly receded, and blinding light pierces through. There was a dull buzzing sound trying to fill her ears, but she hadn't quite come to just yet. Life slowly reignited the nerves in her toes and fingers, then gradually resurrected the rest of her body, until the bruises and wounds were impossible to ignore. Opening her eyes was a trying task, and she let out a pained noise before she could even understand what was happening.

Looming over her was Ahulani, who had touched her with a soft emerald glow, looking down at her with a concentrated gaze.

"That's it. Wake up. Get your ass back here." She could hear her muttering beyond her blunted senses. Like rising to the surface of a lake, her hearing had gradually cleared, and the dull buzzing was actual screams of terror and catastrophe.

"Asami, can you hear me?" Asami croaked a yes. The medic ninja had successfully brought her back. Eventually she had remedied the numbing and the burning of her eyes. For now her injuries would be present, but it was more than enough for Asami to force herself up. Beside her had been Io, whose troubled expression eased at the sight of her sister.

The arena stage had been in shambles. There still were so many people in the stands, rushing to get out. Several jounin had landed in the arena, standing in front of Hanae, who had been on the ground, looking to the sky with fear in her eyes and a bleeding face.

Asami looked to Io. "Did I. . . ?"

Io shook her head, and looked down, clenching her jaw.

"Look," Ahulani instructed and pointed ahead. Asami's eyes followed direction and hovering above and inside the arena had been several wasps, bigger than any summoning she had ever seen before. Three had been around the size and mass of elephants, but there was a grand mother wasp, seven times over their size, lingering directly above the stadium. Her eyes widened.

Maori had been on the backs of the center wasp, staring down at the jounin who surrounded the area. As Asami finally came to, she looked down at her sister. Her entire appearance had changed. Her eyes were a solid gold and the only reputed mark on her was that she wore her corset on the outside of her wardrobe. Her entire figure was consumed by an almost transparent aura.

Asami's entire body began to shake before she jumped to her feet and threw herself in the air. "**Maori!**"

Without a passing glance, a shadow clone of her sister morphed into existence and leapt from the back of the summoned wasp. They collided while airborne, exchanging blows while descending from the sky. When Maori's clone managed to deadlock both Asami's hands, she spoke: "I'm not here for you. I want the elders."

"What?" She roared before jerking forward and head-butting the clone out of existence, and landed beside Ahulani.

"Where are they?" The real Maori demanded. The line of jounin hadn't budged. "You can't protect them forever. I'll kill each of you, if that's what you'd like to wager in exchange for your loyalty."

"This is your final warning, Maori!" It was Jin at the front lines, shouting over the mass panic of the stadium. "Surrender and we may consider a lesser penalty. Or we will have no choice but to detain you, dead or alive."

When she said nothing, Jin gave the order and each other ninja sprang into action, rocketing to the sky and surrounding her. Each of them had performed hand signs in a synchronized fashion, and right before they could perform whatever jutsu they conjured, Maori and the four massive summoning wasps flickered out of sight in a blink. Loud gasps and screams erupted from the crowds. The jounins turned to each other in surprise before landing again inside the stadium. While some followed protocol and evacuated the spectators, Jin and two others took care of Hanae and Asami. Both had been placed on stretchers and were escorted through the lower entrances.

Fury was overflowing inside of the girl. Asami's body had been shaking furiously on the gurney, her mouth set into a scowl. It hadn't helped that Hanae had been only inches away from her, shaking herself. Though instead of anger, it seemed she was rattled with fear; her eyes, now black and caked with dry blood, were wide-brimmed. She was curled into a fetal position muttering to herself.

"T-that's not possible. . ." She could hear her, despite the noise surrounding them. "She should be dead. _She's supposed to be dead._"


	10. Chapter 10

The tournament had been prematurely cancelled. Those who had fought for their respective house titles were rearranged accordingly, but it still left a handful of older ninja stuck in limbo of the house arrangements.

Hanae's murder attempt had been publicized, despite the Chinatsu Elder's best efforts. They confronted Asami for further information, though not so much for Hanae's assault as much as Maori's short visit to the stadium. And although Asami had a fraction of perspective to provide them, she decided to play none the wiser; the girl said nothing about Maori's acute interest in their heads. Furthermore, she mentioned nothing about Hanae's sudden ability to use the sacred kekkei genkei to pierce through her mind without consent. There were still several pieces that she needed to put together before she decided to speak on anything.

Due to the transgression, the Yukiji family was promptly moved out of the main house, leaving Asami as the head mistress and Io as the second appointed.

Io and Asami were now on speaking terms again, which made Eru happy. As she stayed home to heal, Io had tended to her with no complaint to the point of bringing the maids to madness, as she refused to let them do their jobs.

"Io, listen. . ."

Her sister had stopped mid-sentence, having been chatting with her about the recent happenings of Konoha in her day's effort to cheer her up. Asami's once jovial demeanor rotted away since the tournament weeks ago, and it disheartened her sister to see that it had yet to return. To fill the silence she would come into her room with tea and stories. This had been the first time she interrupted her. "Ah, yes?"

Asami's eyes were fastened to the sheets draped over her legs. Io could see the storm brewing inside of her.

"Please be careful, around this family." She said. Io's brows lifted.

"Asami-chan. . . If this is about Hanae, don't worry. She is awaiting her trial and will be dealt with."

Asami shook her head. "No, no. Listen to me. Something isn't right here. Something hasn't been right here for a long time." _I want the elders. _"I need you to focus on nothing else but protecting Eru, and watching your own back." She finally looks up, and Io fights the urge to lurch back from her intense stare. "Do you understand me?"

Io slowly nodded, holding her cup of tea against her chest. The flash of, something, in Asami's eye had worried her. She couldn't recall if Maori had been like this before her break down, but surely it was something like it.

"Don't trust anyone. Not Jin. Not mother and father. Not even me." She whispered before turning away again. "Protect Eru. Please. Please."

Io gently placed her hand upon her sisters' lap. "I will. We'll take care of our family together, sister. I promise." She was scared. And it terrified her to see Asami like this – a shadow of their sister. But she felt that despite all that had happened she could only put true faith in her sister. It was the only thing she had to hold on to.

Later that week, Asami was re-bandaged and dressed, and was escorted by Ahulani to the Uchiha district in her rickshaw. Gazing quietly upon the town, she thought back on the day of the tournament, and all of the bits of information she did have. She wanted to make sense of it all, but it was nearly impossible to do so with so many gaps between the clues. She hadn't spoken a word of what she knew to anyone in her clan. But aside from Ahulani, the only other person she reasoned could help make sense of what she _did _know was Itachi.

"Asami!" It was Mikoto who met her at the door. She brought her arms around her for a hug, remaining cautious of her injuries. Asami had forced beyond the discomfort to indulge in an embrace that she often missed. "Hello summer flower. How are you?"

"Improving by the day." She smiled at her, before giving a small _oof! _When Sasuke came barreling through the front door. He nearly knocked her off the veranda, but she hadn't mind.

"Nee-chan!" The little boy outburst, hugging her tight and squeezing his eyes tighter. She could see the tiny beans of water at the edges of his lashes just before he buried his face away in her silk robes. "Where have you been, Nee-chan?" His muffled voice was so tiny. She and Mikoto exchanged sheepish smiles.

This had been the first time she had visited the district since the tournament, which left her friends with very little knowledge of her condition. She had almost forgotten how soft hearted Sasuke could be until that evening. Mikoto had decided to invite her for dinner once she was feeling better and even some of her friends were there for the occasion. Inside their home Usami, Go, Uo, and even Shisui were stalking about, filling the rooms with laughter and racket. Though Sasuke's father had been attending a clan meeting and Itachi hadn't returned home yet, seeing their familiar faces and the way they all lit up at the sight of her softened her hard resolve. They all hooted and clapped when she entered, giving her praise for her recent promotion to Head of House and congratulating her for her bravery at the tournament. Shisui had stood to his feet and helped her to her seat at the table.

Mikoto and Sasuke had worked to finish setting the full course dinner together before sitting with the others, Sasuke latching to her side for the rest of the night despite being chastised by his mother. The exchange went on for hours, full of laughs and silly stories of things she missed, including the graduation ceremony of Sasuke at the academy and several other things.

Hours later and the others were giving Asami hugs goodbye, hugging her while she sat at the table as Sasuke had dosed off to sleep across her lap. Shisui stayed behind to help Mikoto clear the table. When their father arrived home, he gave her a brief greeting before hauling Sasuke off to bed. The house was quiet. She went to sit on the veranda in the backyard beside Shisui in wait for Itachi.

"So much has changed." He sighed softly, looking out into the empty field of grass. She nodded, humming in what sounded like agreement. "It's amazing how much can happen within only a year's time."

_Wasn't that right? _Asami glanced towards him briefly, watching him admire the backyard with an undecided expression. Subtle changes of his face and stature stood out to her, then. His hair was growing. His eyes seemed to darken somehow. She wondered if there were any significant changes that he could see of hers. If so there wasn't much aside from her hair and maybe her height. So much was changing but there was a lot that stayed the same.

"Asami Chinatsu, Head of House." He spoke in wonderment, a smile forming. Shisui turned to her. "How's that feel?"

She laughed softly. "Heavy. Suddenly everyone's looking at me and talking in questions. _'Dinner should be ready by seven?' 'This year we should showcase petunias?' 'The Spring Festival will be hosted here?'" _They both snickered at her ad-libs. "I never imagined being where I am now. If anything, Io's been more fitting for this role."

"Ah. . . I can't imagine you being anything less, honestly." Just as he looked to her, she found herself averting her gaze.

"You flatter me. Thank you." Her fingers smoothed over the robes at her lap. He gave a solemn nod and they both went quiet for a moment.

"Itachi's been. . . feeling just the same, as you I mean."

Asami lofts a brow in question. He nodded, turning his attention elsewhere as he thought on his next string of words.

"He's talented. Always has been. But I mean. . . I think he's always wanted something simpler than this. Black Op duties, clan meetings." Secrets and more secrets. She was starting to know it too well. From what she could tell, it was starting to gnaw at him. Were those signature indentations under his eyes sign of that?

"What about you?" She asked. "Certainly you must yearn for simpler things, too." Love, most primarily. Things had definitely changed, and even as her infatuation for him fell away Usami and Shisui still had a static between them that couldn't be missed.

His smile softened. "Yes, well, I manage. It's in me to withstand things even if I don't like the circumstances. I'm not sure about our friend."

She thought on his words for a moment, before giving a great sigh and speaking again. "I wouldn't fret about him too much. He's capable of a lot of things."

"Maybe so. Still, there are a few things he's yet to figure out on his own."

Asami had been, again, blissfully unaware of what exactly he was getting at. He watched her as she looked out to the expansive yard, seeming to be at peace with herself for the moment. "Like what?"

He let out a timid laugh and shook his head. "The same thing I struggle to understand, myself."

Letting his words simmer, when she finally turned to him to inquire further the door behind them slid open and Itachi had stepped onto the veranda.

"I'm home." He looked exhausted. His voice was still the shell of its normal self. He still hadn't shaken out of his work demeanor yet.

Asami and Shisui looked over their shoulders, and greeted him at the same time. An involuntary smile cut across his face, and just as he was going to settle in between them Shisui stood to his feet.

"Well, I better go. I hope you both enjoy the rest of your night."

"Wait –" Itachi, rightfully confused, stopped him just before he stepped through the back door. "You're leaving already? I just got back."

"I only stayed so that Asami wouldn't have to wait alone. It seemed only right." Itachi briefly glances between them, though he still didn't fully understand. And at his comment Asami is also confused; he hadn't mentioned to her that he would be leaving as soon as Itachi returned home.

"Honestly, I'm tired." He confessed, smiling shyly. "You missed a wonderful dinner party. We'll all have to do it again sometime, right Asami?"

She perked up. "Ah. Yes. Another time."

Shisui nodded and smiled. He gave Itachi a pat on the shoulder, then disappeared inside the dark house. Itachi and Asami could only stare at the open door, then to each other. It was evident that they both had no idea he would up and leave as sudden as he did. But there was nothing to do about it.

The boy shut the door behind him, and then sat on the edge of the back porch, swinging his legs as he took in his surroundings. It was pleasant to come home and face silence and shadows. To dig into his roots again and forget about all the troubles that waited for him every time he walked out his front door. Asami liked to sit beside Itachi in silence. It always was comforting to let her mind settle next to someone equally understanding. Even though she came to discuss her troubles, it wouldn't have bothered her if they hadn't talked at all that night. But he knew there was a lot to cover. He wouldn't completely abandon it, despite wanting to rest.

He started by asking how she was, and how her sisters were fairing, and in time the truths that she had meticulously hid from just about everyone began to unravel before them. When she spoke on it, the events of that day were like a wildfire, consuming her calm demeanor to the point that she was shivering. Fear, and grief and anger made her skin hot. Most of all, she was still confused.

"Hanae said she was supposed to be dead. I think. . . I think she meant my sister. I don't know though, it just continues to put me in these nonsensical loops that provide more questions than answers."

He nodded. Itachi's expression was grim. "From what you've told me, I can understand the confusion. And Hanae hasn't been tried for her crimes yet?"

Asami shook her head. Her eyes fell down to her hands. "Not yet. It'll be another week before she is."

"There's a reason for that." He folded his hands, leaning over to rest his elbows at his knees. "At the time Yukiji's family ruled the house but you _still _are a valued asset to your clan. Why would they treat a threat to their line so leisurely? It doesn't make sense."

"You're right. . ." She had easily forgotten in her former duties of house work and servicing Yukiji's family that she still was considered an heiress. "It doesn't make sense. I wish I knew what she meant. Did the elders say they were going to kill Maori, or that they had already?"

His hand ran along the side of his face as he contemplated. "Possibly. At the point of her escape she was considered a traitor to your family. Given the nature of your clan, it would make sense that they'd resort to trying to kill her. But obviously. . . their efforts failed. What does Io think of all of this?"

"She doesn't know everything I know. I didn't want to tell her. To be honest, I'm afraid of her knowing too much. . ."

He nodded, and for a moment they both were short of much else to say. A yawn interrupted her and she succumbed to stretching like a fat, lazy cat and bellowing out a sound she thought too embarrassing. Itachi couldn't help to laugh when he saw how flustered she was.

"You shouldn't have waited so long for me." He smiled guiltily as she fumbled with excuses.

"It was no big deal. Besides, I needed to get out of that house. If I have to hear another one of Io's stories I just might go insane." They both laughed. "Mikoto was very nice to do this for me. I'm very happy."

Happy. It had been awhile since Itachi had associated that word with Asami. It was good to see that something could make her feel that way, again. "I'm sorry that I missed it."

"Me too. I think it would have been something you needed as well. Has Anbu been good to you?"

He sighed. At that moment he looked so worn that she hardly recognized him. "I can only say that my skill has been put to great use."

"You speak like you're some sort of tool."

He waited. "That's not a bad way of wording it."

Asami looked to him incredulously. "That's a terrible way to word it."

It seemed at the rise of her voice, he snapped out of a trance, the dull look in his eyes falling away. He looked to her apologetically. "Absolutely. . . I'm sorry. Forget what I said."

The soft take of his tone did little to ease her worry. The girl had shuffled in her robes and found her way beside him. Her hand fell over his, and she looked up to him in earnest. When was he ever this tall? "No. I understand what that feels like, but. . . we can't just lose ourselves to our duties. I know that it's easier to, but people are counting on us."

His demure faltered somewhat, and he turned away slightly, hiding behind his outgrown bangs. "What if it doesn't work?"

Her brows furrowed. "It will."

He turned back to her and almost seemed unrecognizable under a guise of, what was this? Frustration? "But _what if it doesn't_? What if I'm wasting my time trying to save my humility? Sometimes you can't have both."

Her fingers curled around his hand when she felt him trying to withdraw from her touch. She stood before the face of fear like this many times before, and it always seemed to slip from her grip in all of her efforts. Not this time. "You aren't because I won't let you! Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's impossible, Itachi! Don't be a coward!"

Her sudden outburst was followed by silence. He fumbled a bit with his words before both of the resistant children turned away from each other. She wouldn't admit it, but losing her cool filled her with regret. He was fuming inside, but also knew that she had hit something he knew already, right on the head.

Asami carefully unfurled her fingers from around his palm, leaving crescent indents in his ivory complexion. "That was out of line."

She felt his hand find hers again. When looking towards him, he had been studying it. The comparison made her realize how small she truly was beside him. "Thank you."

A breeze ran through them both. She pushed her hair from out of her face. And when her vision was clear again he was staring directly into her face with a smile that was both apologetic and resolved. Suddenly she was at a loss for what to do. It seemed appropriate to look away, but even that was hard to manage.

"You're right, I am being cowardly." He laughed softly, his eyes creasing. To her surprise, a rosy color began a pattern under his cheeks. "I'll have to leave thoughts like those behind."

She wasn't persuaded by his sudden change of pace. If anything, she felt even guiltier for being so crude with him. He was transitioning through tough times, just like herself and Shisui. Still, it was the same mantra she fed herself when the days just seemed hard to withstand; _Do it for them. Don't lose yourself. Do it for them. _

Before she could say anything, he got to his feet, and helped her to hers. "You should get home, get some rest. We both need it."

"Oh. Yes, you're right." Her eyes lowered. By then, both of his hands had encased her own gently, like a Venus fly trap ensnaring its prey. She couldn't help her frowning.

"Asami." The girl's eyes fastened to his as soon as he said her name. It was the way he said it that made her so attentive. But his lips were firmly pressed together. He didn't make an effort to say anything beyond that. The staid appearance was a little disconcerting. Itachi's eyes fell away. "I. . .I'd better get you home."

Shisui's final comment echoed somewhere far in the back of her thoughts. She faced the back door in hopes to hide the furious blush filling her face. "No. It's okay. I'll go it alone."

"I couldn't let you in good conscious –" He insisted as she stepped forward, touching her arm. When she looked back he extracted his touch, just then realizing how forward he was being. A beat of silence. She walks around him and down the steps of the porch into the grass. "- I can at least walk you towards the bridge."

"I'll save you the trouble," She spoke light-heartedly though her face was prickling with heat. This was far from what she anticipated. "I'll take the short-cut through the trees so I can get there even sooner." Suddenly she stopped, and he stuttered to a halt right behind her.

The persistent stare at her back switched to her face when she turned around. Her smile was a bit forced. Asami rubbed her arm nervously. "I'm sure you're tired. Get some rest. I'll come see you tomorrow if that makes you feel any better?"

He straightened. "Sure, okay. Tomorrow." Itachi had no doubt that he'd be carried away by his responsibilities tomorrow, as would she. But it was evident that she wanted to spend some time alone, and he wouldn't trouble her any further.

"Goodnight." She waved goodbye, and hoped that he couldn't see the smile fade when she turned and started walking again.

Her body was rigidity until she was well into the small density of trees. No longer feeling Itachi's eyes on her back, she was free to sigh and panic internally. "Oh god. What was that? _What was that?_" She muttered, squeezing her eyes shut and wrapping her arms around herself. The damned blush would not go away! What had just happened back there? He was. . . Itachi was. . .

No matter how much she tried to swallow it down, smother the memories, push it behind her, there they sat – images of Itachi Uchiha. Holding her hand. Looking into her eyes like for the first time in years she appeared in full color. Was Shisui anticipating this? Was it always like this?

Asami ran her fingers through her hair, gripping the roots occasionally. "Why now?" Her pace slowed. Suddenly she felt uneasy and ashamed of the momentary hope that nipped at her. _Why not before, when we were free to be fools? _

There was a sound not too distant from her that froze her thoughts. Immediately her defensive side sprouted, and she was acutely aware of her surroundings. The kunoichi stopped walking. Her hand hovered over her hip, where her pouch waited patiently with her arsenal of weapons. There was silence, and then, the faintest of whispers. Her eyes flickered around. Nothing. No bodies, no footsteps. But leaves were trembling in a symphony around her.

She looked to the canopies of the trees and saw shadowed faces before several bodies fell to the forest floor to surround her. It was only a second before the first darted towards her, and she collected a kunai and deflected their sword by narrow precision, kicking he assailant backwards to clear a way for another to charge at her. Just as she built the momentum to jump kick the next disguised figure, someone had caught her under her arms with theirs, and locked her against them. She thrashed around, but it was no use. With one fell strike Asami went under.

Asami came to, but her senses were distorted. There were voices swarming around her, and the sounds of chirping bugs and rustling leaves. Outside. She thought to move, and immediately felt minerals against her cheek. Face down in the dirt. The girl willed her eyes open, and fought to bring them back into focus. A group that she could see from her angle on the ground was huddled together, and one at the center was chanting in a language that sounded far too old for her to know.

She rolled a bit, and jerked her head to get her strands of hair out of her face. Under the moon in a forest that she didn't exactly recognize stood several people who were all raising their arms to the night sky. Their bodies were inside of a wispy, red aura. Their voices were loud, though not loud enough to mute the desperate pleas of someone else. Asami's eyes wandered the grounds curiously until they landed on the source. She gasped aloud.

"Please, please elders!" - _It was Hanae -_ "I've been good to you! I've served you faithfully, haven't I? Elders, please! **Please!**"

Asami fumbled around, rocking back and forth on her stomach. There were restraints around her wrists and ankles. When she made an effort to focus her chakra, nothing had come, and the action had brought nausea to her that edged her to vomiting. Across from her, Hanae had been bound the same way. She had subjected herself to sobbing grossly into the dirt. Her hopelessness struck momentary fear into Asami.

When she looked more closely to the clustered group, she realized that it had been the elders, together chanting and praising something that she couldn't quite figure out. All of their eyes were hidden by a possessive, golden brilliance as they murmured on. They were at the center of erected stone pillars, all etched with symbols that were faintly familiar. She studied them further. The etchings looked archaic, but she couldn't mistake the symbols of the sun, moon, a chalice and wings – wasp wings – on their faces. This was a ceremony.

A set of hands took her by her arms and lifted her from the ground and hauled her over to the praising group. She was dropped on her back callously at their feet beside Hanae, who continued to plead and cry. This was a face she had never seen before from the prestigious girl. What part did she have in this?

One by one they filed in, stooping over the two girls with sober faces. Having been so close to their auras, there was an unmistakable odor that attacked Asami's nostrils. Decay. Human decay. Her body lurched but she had to reserve the bile that threatened to rise in her throat.

"What the hell is going on?!" She demanded sharply. There was small chance that anyone would answer her, but the centerfold of the coven had smiled down at her leeringly.

"You have been chosen to be our noble sacrifices."

Asami's eyes widened. She quickly looked over to Hanae, and back to the audience before her. "S-sacrifice?"

Hoshiko nodded, and her grin was menacing. "Did you think we really believed you, back at council after the tournaments? We know everything, child. Including what you refused to tell us."

Daichi sighed. "We had hoped, that Hanae would perform her duties and exterminate you before you came to know too much. But even our best efforts can be short-handed with the right elements."

Hoshiko's face morphed into a scowl. "That bastard child. . . Know that it is your sister to blame for this. Both of you will be given in exchanged for the greater good."

"But this is a respectable way to go," Kurou interjected. He smiled as though his words would bring comfort to the girls. "Our ancestors had often taken the lives of their kin who had betrayed them, or were weak links, in exchange for power. As well as to please the gods."

"You're sick! You're all sick!" She spat at them. They laughed heartily at her lashing out.

Hoshiko gave a passive wave as a masked figure stepped in beside her, gesturing a sheathed weapon to the woman. She took it by its golden hilt then slid it out, exposing the blade to the moonlight.

"Neither of you were any use to us alive. But don't worry, in time we'll be sending your families along with you."

The elder woman inspected them both before settling her gaze upon Hanae, then stepped over her. She lifted the blade into the sky, and began a short chant. Hanae squirmed and cried out, but it was all ignored.

"Please elder! I won't tell your secrets. I won't disobey you, I won't fail you! Please!"

Panic slowly shook Asami down to her bones. She shook her head and wriggled against the ground. Daichi had came over to her side and drew his hands into her hair before forcing her to stare directly at Hoshiko.

"I want you to witness this. It'll be your first time, and your last. Take in the power of _true_ Chinatsu."

Hoshiko slowly lowered to the ground and smiled softly at Hanae. "Thank you for your sacrifice." With a heavy force she brought the short weapon down by its edge and into the girl's sternum with an audible _thump_. A terrible cry ripped out of her before she fell lifeless.

"Hanae!" Asami shouted out. Her breaths were sharp and forced. A sob tore through her chest. "_Hanae!_"

The red aura that consumed the elder woman slowly crept along the frame of the blade, and seemed to seep inside of Hanae through the wound in her chest. Asami could see blood slowly pooling underneath her body, though as the presence of the crimson energy sprouted on the outer edges of her figure, the blood soaked back inside of her. Her soft skin began to wilt and darken. Her body was decomposing right before her eyes, breaking down inside of the red force until nothing was left but bones and her clothing.

Hoshiko's hands trembled. She and the others stared at each other in amazement, shouting in praise and wonder at the power they wielded.

"Praise Aoi!" They all cheered. It wasn't long before Hoshiko had come over to Asami, who was grunting and fighting against her restraints the best she could. Though now directly under the overwhelming aura, her strength began to weaken. Her vision was blurring. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribs painfully.

"Asami, thank you for. . ." Blackness. Here she was, reacquainting herself with The End again. And yet again, The End had soon turned her around and whispered, _Not Yet. _

". . . _sami. . . Asami!_" Her head lulled side-to-side in an effort to wake up. Near death was heavy to shake off. She had done it twice now, and again she found herself in the middle of a battlefield.

"We have to stop meeting like this." Her vision was crossed and blurred. She was talking nonsense. Itachi shook her by her shoulders.

"What? Asami, can you hear me?" Huddled behind a shrub in the dense woods, he did his best to bring her back to their world.

"Asami!"

Several blinks, and soon her vision went back into focus. She shot up in a panic, and halted when nausea urged her back down. Itachi had caught her within his arms and sat her upright.

"I'm. . . I should be dead." She said in a slur. "How did you - ?"

He laughed, but there wasn't a fraction of humor on his face. He stared out into the battleground, assessing their odds. "You're crazy to think I really was going to let you go on your own."

She smiled faintly. "You can't beat them. . . they _ate _her, Itachi. They ate Hanae. " To both their surprise, tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. All she could think of was the look of horror that Hanae was subjected to before being slaughtered.

". . . She's here."

Asami glanced up in question. Itachi helped her to her feet so she for herself who exactly had made an entrance. Maori had returned with her familiar four wasp summons, repelling the assaults of the elders with their help. Asami held onto Itachi, disbelieving the sight before her.

The group had come together to direct a powerful blast of energy in their direction. Her sister and the summons had held the surge back, but the force itself was pushing them out of perimeter. Maori quickly looked over her shoulder, her eyes a brilliant amber that glowed against her features. "Get her out of here, _now!_"

Itachi wound her arm around his neck and flickered to the treetops. It wasn't long before they could hear the nearing presence of one of the elders. Daichi had been rushing right behind them. As Itachi took zig-zag motions along the upper branches, seeming to disappear from sight, Asami's head began to pound. A violent migraine weakened her into submission before her eyes were pried open against her will and a purple color lensed her vision.

"I-Itachi! We can't lose him! He's. . . he can track us through me!" An onslaught of shuriken came flying at their backs. "The kekkei genkei, remember?"

"Dammit." He muttered before leaping back down, performing a quick series of hand signs before landing to the ground. His hand covered the girl's eyes to blunt her vision before he maneuvered behind thick brush. She could hear a heavy set of feet darting past. Leaves overhead trembled violently before it was nothing more than a faint memory.

Close against him, she could feel his chest rise and fall rapidly, but his breathing was nearly mute. She did her best to silence her own breathing beside him. The migraine shrank to a dull ache. It was moments before he spoke again.

"We lost him for now. . . I'm going to let go, so keep your head down, alright?" Asami nodded. Slowly he removed his hand and she kept her eyes and head down, concentrating only on the grass beneath her. Itachi remained hovered over her, his body casting a shadow over her so that she couldn't see much else beyond his figure.

"She's going to need help, soon. Their chakra levels together are too great even with the summons." The boy thought aloud. Still, his voice seemed oddly strained to her.

Asami's eyes darted over to him. A patch of deep red was seeping through his uniform. The girl gasped. "Itachi, you're hurt."

Asami searched for his face. He was exhausted, but managing despite their circumstances. "It's shallow. I'll be fine."

She shook her head slowly. "It's no use. . . We can't. . . we can't escape them." The girl slammed her fist to the ground, swallowing back her urge to cry. Her strength was slowly starting to return, but she felt useless. How could she have gotten him into this?

"No." He said brusquely. "There's a way. I can help." Their eyes met and when she saw his face she knew what he was referring to.

"I can't do that. You could die." She said sharply. He was thinking back on the forbidden technique she mentioned to him when they were both very, very young. For an outsider to share a mind link with a member of the Chinatsu clan, they had to ingest a fraction of their poison and survive. It was a practice that was banned years before she was even born. They spoke on it casually, then. The fact that he was bringing up now was absurd. "It's out of the question."

He ignored her. "If I could share a link with you, I could use my eyes to deadlock anyone who is trying to track you."

Asami shook her head persistently, staring at the ground as tears began to form. "You can't. I'm not doing it."

"Asami we could very well _die here. _You have to try." His words froze her. Itachi took her face between his thumb and index, forcing her eyes on him. "You _have _to do something. Maori cannot possibly take them all on by herself." The sudden crashing noise meters away emphasized this fact. Flashes of color lit the sky, and crossed his demeanor. Itachi studied her gaze, seeing the tears that threatened to fall. His thumb pressed against her jaw and into her cheek. "No thinking. Do it."

Her lips trembled, but she urged the vessels that lined the inside of her mouth to work the unique toxins into her canal. Her eyes were starting to fall sway to the jutsu of one of the elders trying to peer into her perspective and she stirred into a silent dread. Knowing she would be more than reluctant, Itachi's hand urged her over, drawing her lips in with his open mouth. She squeezed her eyes and broke her lips apart and their mouths sealed against each other and he successfully lapped the bit of poison she carried with his tongue.

He drew back. She reached over to grip his shoulders. "Now!"

On command his dark eyes swirled into the infamous red and black pattern known by the entirety of the ninja world and warped her reality in moments. _Don't blink_, his voice instructed. _Keep your eyes on mine. _

There were several cries that bellowed out along the forest around them. Then, silence. Submerged within the depths of her own mind, Asami stood in the center of an abyss and watched four doors slam themselves shut, then shatter into nothing. A bright light struck her.

She blinked rapidly. Itachi had been sitting before her, eyes still locked in his kekkei genkei. She reached over slowly to touch his face. He flinched.

"See?" He smiled. "I told you, to. . ." His eyelids fluttered. The boy's weight had sent him falling sideways. She moved quickly to catch him before he crashed.

"Itachi!" His skin was clammy to the touch. He made an effort to move, though not much came of it. The girl had got to her feet, bringing him up alongside her, and threw his arm around her shoulders, her arm locking around his waist before she started back in the direction where her sister left her.

She had met her midway towards the clearing; Maori had been searching for her as well. They stood across from each other at separate treetops.

It was Maori who spoke first. "You poisoned him."

Asami looked away. "It was his idea."

"He saved us. The fool."

". . . He could die."

"Yes. A righteous sacrifice, I'd say."

Asami could feel her heart fluttering in her chest. She shot a menacing glare at her sister. "He _saved _you, Maori! Please! If there's anything you know that could help him, _please _tell me. You owe him that much."

Her sister seemed to debate for a moment. The faintest sound could be heard towards the edge of the forest. As luck would have it, the turn of events had garnered enough attention to attract several Konoha ninja and bring them here. They could hear faint shouting from several people. Possibly four or five.

"Here." Maori tossed something to her underhanded. "The only thing that truly ebbs the poison's effect is a summoning wasp. A medical ninja and his own living will are the only other remedies I can suggest. Keep that contract safe. They'll be coming for it once they realize who has it now."

Asami held the scroll in her free hand and studied the item. A gust of wind blew against her, toying with her balance. She looked towards the sky to watch her sister flying overhead on the back of a giant wasp. Several bodies broke through the brush, revealing Io, Yukiji, Shisui, Ahulani, an ally Hyuga member and Jin at the forefront. The kunoichi had readjusted the boy at her hip before landing down below to meet them.

The next several hours had gone by in blurs. She pointed them in the direction of the clearing where the elders would likely be, as well as Daichi, who darted off in search of them. As dawn grew on the horizon, several of the medical ninja from the Konoha had filed in to take care of Itachi, who was in a critical state. Asami had decided to return to the village with them, leaving the others and several Konoha officials to see about the mess left behind.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** A little late in the day, but I'm going to try and keep my word and continue to post EVERY Wednesday. Please note that this chapter includes some history behind the Chinatsu Clan and their relationship with killing clan members for power and their relationship with the Wasp Summons. If you'd like to skip it, I've marked that entry with two asterisks (**). It's not imperative to know it but it's totally up to you to read now or later. Thanks for reading!

All but one elder managed to escape the scene before being apprehended. Daichi had been abandoned by who he thought were his true comrades, left behind to face the Konaha penalties for obstructing justice as an accomplice to the murder of Hanae Chinatsu, the attempted murder of Asami Chinatsu, and the suspected murders of several Chinatsu clans people who were formerly declared missing.

The Elder's Council had since then been disbanded, and the confidential clan documents had been release for public consumption. It was discovered that the well-known Jin Kunasuri was actually born in line as a clan successor. The decision to reform the Chinatsu Council was left to him, as expected, but the motion was declined. His first action as successor had been to make the clan a democratically-ran group, and he officially turned over the house ranking system.

By the end of spring the Chinatsu clans-people were properly reassigned to their appropriate houses to ensure that everyone had an equal opportunity to education and, frankly, a good life. Though there was no longer 'clan royalty,' the older customs had not yet died, and many of the maids and service women stood behind the former regal clans folk like Yukiji, Io and Asami.

Though it took several days of recovery, Itachi's health returned at a remarkable rate. As Maori vowed, the summoning wasps had helped to extract the deadly nature of the toxins he ingested. Though his healing was extremely discomforting, he had pulled through, and Asami couldn't be happier.

Though opening the scroll, she had unlocked the answer to her worries for her friend, as well as to the events of that fateful night; a summoning wasp had relayed the history of the contract and how it almost exclusively landed in the hands of Chinatsu people only, and the history involving their contracts and her kin.

** "A long time ago, well before the Great Shinobi War, your clans-people were nothing more than a large family of penniless beggars with very little skills worth much to the land of fire," Wasp Ginzu relayed. "But they were also nature-worshippers, as most of you still commonly are, and were very wise in their knowledge of the earth.

One of the most notable creatures they admired and began to mimic were us, wasps, hornets, bees and the like. For a long time, from winter to spring and around again, we watched your people suffer through the seasons though still return grateful for all that you had received, which wasn't much. Your folk had always come together to share the load, and moved like one.

One fateful day, at the conclusion of fall the threat of another great winter was nearing. The leader of your folk had fallen ill. In desperation, his daughter had come to us and begged for our help to survive. They had studied us for so long, and yet still nothing had come from their efforts, unlike us. And they were on their last leg.

So our queen said to her, that in order to please her, they had to deliver her their weakest kin. In exchange, she would give them great power that will shine for generations to come, and guarantee their success. She had known the weakest had been her very father."

Asami's expression twisted in concern. "What did she do?"

The Wasp laughed. "What any loving child would do. She challenged the wasp queen. The daughter angrily refused, and she equally admired and hated the girl's defiance. But she was so impressed that she decided to grant them the gift she promised anyways. The clan had grown in strength, especially the women, as the queen favored the integrity of them far more, and they survived through winter with no casualties. In time the family stopped worshipping the wasps.

However. . . The girl's brother had one day met with the wasp queen. He wanted to thank her for how far his family had come and how well she had made his father. The queen, lost in her anger towards the family that soon after abandoned her, after all she had did for them, took advantage of this praising boy. She told him that, if he sacrificed the weakest of his kin to her, she would grant him great power that would overcome even his sister's talents. And so he did. In the middle of the night, he killed his father with the blessed dagger that she had given to him.

His power was so remarkable that several of his kin were drawn to him, and they devoted themselves to worshipping the wasp spirit. The power was the Sight and herself; the wasp queen had offered her spiritual essence eternally as a summoning power for his leisure. The rest of the family fought against him how he could, but he was too great, and managed to take over the entire clan. Annually, he would sacrifice the weakest of their clans to the queen in gratitude, though this was much different than before. The clansfolk were devouring those who were sacrificed, eating their chakra. This lasted for several decades.

The final sacrifice before the practice was thenceforth banned was him, by his own sister. She had killed him in the guise of suddenly desiring to adhere to the whims of the queen, and once he was killed, she took over the clan and prohibited the practice forever. The children she and her brother left behind her were responsible for erecting the Council. And though the act was banned, many of the upper echelon of your clans-people still indulged in the practice, as you've already witnessed."

Asami had read along the many names and blood prints eternalized on the parchment on the ground, until she landed on her own name and blood. "And so, this particular scroll. . ."

"Is the scroll of the Wasp Queen, Aoi. Yes."

"Huh."

"Your sister must have a lot of faith in your talents to have passed this on to you."

Asami said nothing. She didn't like to think fondly of her sister, despite any of her efforts to help. In good conscious, she couldn't admire Maori as Io lived with the eternal memory of her betrayal. **

"Are you sure about this, sister?" Io asked Asami, who had kept her back to her, crossing their bedroom back and forth to finish packing away her things. "So much has changed. Everyone's been so much happier. And there's still so much work to be done. You could be such a great leader to us."

Asking Asami if she wanted to remain living in the house that hosted some of her worst memories seemed almost insulting, but she knew Io meant well. She was only doing what siblings did best, which was worrying themselves to death. Asami sighed then turned to face her, forcing a smile on her face. "Io, you know how long I've wanted to live in my own place? I'm sorry but if I have to unclog another drain full of your hair I'll go insane."

Io puffed her cheeks and stomped her foot on the floor. "Then we'll build you your own bathroom! Please reconsider leaving."

"I have, and I've come to the same –" Io ran into her arms, squeezing her waist. Asami smiled sullenly, petting her sisters' hair. "Conclusion. Ah, Io-chan. I won't be far away. I gave you directions to my house and everything."

"I can't lose you too, nee-chan." Her words pierced her. Io gazed up at her with sullen, mint-green eyes. If she were any weaker she would have unpacked her things right then. "I want you to be a door knock away. Not a bridge away. Or a ten minute walk away. Or any of that!" Fat tears formed at her eyes.

Asami bonked herself on the side of the head, looking exasperated. "Geez. . . and here I thought Eru would be the difficult one. I'm sorry, Io-chan." Carefully, the girl pried her younger sister off of her body, and finished zipping up her luggage.

Right on cue, Ahulani, Go, Shisui and Usami filed inside their room with animated chatter about her big moving day, eager to help haul her things outside. Ahulani, like the brute she was, took her vanity by the shoulder and tried to make her way through the third story window, which only left Asami to shout and holler obscenely at the medical ninja, who only fanned her away and explained how genius her shortcut was. Io thought to stubbornly lay her body on top of some of Asami's luggage, but she was hefted up by Go who didn't give much of a damn while Usami giggled at Shisui's clumsy habit that flared only when she happened to be there.

There was a tearful exchange with her parents, and of course she gave her best wishes to the maids and servants who stayed in their estate, waving her final goodbyes to the new tenants who came from the old filtering system of their clan, all who animatedly waved and cheered their love to her as she started her trail to her new home. Eru and Io had decided to tag along, both too unwilling to say goodbye just yet, tucked between the many boxes and furniture at the tail of the carriage. Asami and Ahulani steered upfront. The others stood on the roofs and hung off the sides of the wagons.

They travelled under the midday sun, across the rice fields and over the bridge, finally through the town center. Those familiar to them waved. Children chased and prodded the trail of carts until their short legs couldn't keep up. The horses clopped along, veering off the main street to follow down the roads that poured into the quieter neighborhoods. When Asami's townhouse towered ahead, Ahulani pulled the reigns and brought their train to a gradual halt. The hanging bodies jumped down and took their pickings of Asami's things while she raced up the steps to open her front door. As she clambered up, her friend's voices perked up, shouting a familiar name that she hadn't expected to be there. Her hazel eyes lifted up, seeing Itachi standing on the rail of her bedroom balcony, looking out to the horizon. A draft played with the hem of his shirt and hair. The girl was late in realizing her staring, and when she caught herself warmth began to spread in her face. Usami had called out to him, snapping his trance, and he looked down at the others with a tiny smile.

"You have the best view in town now, Asami," The boy projected, before dropping down, landing a few paces from her.

She shakes her head to snap out of her own silly trance, her pigtails smacking her cheeks. "How'd you get here?" His workload for Anbu and his clan had more than doubled once he was well again. She didn't count on him having any free time any soon.

Itachi snickered, nudging the center of her forehead. "You shouldn't ask so many questions."

She rocked back on her heels, swatting his hand away and rubbing her brow. "It was just one! I hate when you do that. . ." Asami quickly unlocked the front door then stepped inside, working to pry open each of the windows.

Io and Eru were soon heard pattering inside as well, spinning around once they entered the front door with colorful _ooh's _and _aah's . _Not paying attention, both had brushed into Itachi before apologizing and waving at their sister's old friend. He murmured greetings to each of them, ruffling Eru's head of purple curls before she ran through the house with her sister.

"Moved out at the ripe old age of 13!" Shisui said cheerfully once he wedged inside one of the open windows with a box at his hip. "How does it feel to be forever severed from the nagging rules of adults for good?"

Asami laughed, walking back to the front from one of the back room while dusting her hands. "Well, my parents are still going to stop by to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. They only agreed to this because they know how hard it is for me to be around the estate now."

"Ah, Asami-chan," Usami said in a stagy tone. "We _know _all of that! We want to hear how it feels to have your own home at our age!"

"Most of us are pretty jealous," Go had added in his levelled intonation while hauling in a sofa. The others laughed and agreed.

"Well?" Ahulani pressed. Itachi and the others waited on her expectantly.

". . . I guess, it's pretty awesome." Asami blushed. She grinned so hard that her eyes narrowed to little horseshoes. That had been the response they all wanted. Her empty house was suddenly filled with overlapping cheers. The unpacking and horseplay lasted well into the night.

When the last of her furniture was inside, Asami had said her goodbyes to her friends at the door. Ahulani would be taking everyone back home via carriage, as they all were pretty exhausted. Io and Eru took the longest to say goodbye, forcing her to promise that she would visit them constantly, and make an extra key for them to have so they could come whenever they wanted. Seeing them all go was bittersweet, and also nerve-wracking; Itachi had offered to stay behind, having been the only one to diligently unpack her boxes in each room, he still had his work cut out for him.

The large furniture for the rooms had already been arranged, and while the others helped her maneuver pieces and put together the general layout of each room, Itachi had taken the task of slicing open and organizing the contents of each box. She had instructed him on some objects, but the rest he had decided to place where _he _saw fit. Earlier that evening, she found herself watching him placing items in the kitchen cabinets. It was like playing house when they were only children. She couldn't seem to get the smile off of her face, except sticks, rocks, dirt and imagination was filled in with actual interiors, counters, table tops and clutter.

When the others left, the only noise she could hear was coming from upstairs. Tracing the sound, she jotted upstairs and glanced over the banister inside the bathroom, where inside Itachi was staring intently at a pile of folded towels and toothbrushes as though he were trying to decipher ancient text. He didn't notice her until she let out a laugh.

"You're in serious trouble," He said in that solemn voice of his. "There's. . . no room for these. In the linen closet."

Asami went up the final step and around the banister, stepping into the light of the master bathroom to closely assess the situation he deemed so dire. "I have a linen closet?"

He nodded, his eyes flickering between the items in his hand. "Perhaps you can invest in a cabinet? There's enough room for one here." As if to reaffirm, he does a leisure 360 and lands face to face with her. The boy hands over the items. "I've done my best. I can't think of anywhere to place these things. I'm sorry."

The girl couldn't help to laugh, and seeing this, his complexion warmed to a ruddy color.

"I. . . I hung up your photos. They're perfectly aligned. I made sure of it." He pivoted his head and forced himself to study the framed images on the bathroom walls. She looked as well, and realized that he was right.

"It seems your obsession with perfection has been put to good use. Mikoto must rest easy at night when you're home for chores."

She laughed again, and he moped, blushing and embarrassed. He wished she wouldn't tease so much. Asami notices his change of face, and gently places the items in her hand in the basin of the tub before facing him again.

"I'm sorry. Thank you so much, Itachi. You've helped turn this place into something wonderful."

He averted his gaze. "Of course."

"So. . ." She debated as they both stepped out of the bathroom and into the hall. "What's left?"

"I haven't gotten to your bedroom. I'm not certain where you would want those items, as they're very particular."

"Yeah." Her mind crosses the many pieces that belonged to her bedroom. The royal garments, framed photos, knick-knacks, plush teddies. Bountiful clutter that she knew even Itachi wouldn't fully know how to organize. "I guess, considering the hour, I can leave that for tomorrow. Oh, wait!" Her sudden exclamation buds his curiosity.

In moments she's in her room rummaging through the five scattered boxes for something she wouldn't tell him despite him asking. Left only to watch, he waited by the door until finally she pops out of one of larger boxes with a triumphant, "Aha!"

He watched her cross back over the room in bewilderment, cradling something that glimmered faintly under the moon rays that pierced her bedroom windows while she shuffled over. Standing under him, he could see a chain with round, silver links adorning it. A necklace? His eyes flickered between her hands and her face, though did a double take when he saw the color in her cheeks.

"It was something I meant to give to you, that week you were sick." She managed to say after a time. "My mother helped me make it. She tells me that handmade pieces have more power in them because they're made for something specific in mind. I wanted to give it to you then, but. . ." _I couldn't bear to see you_, was what she wanted to say, but even admitting that felt pathetic. She didn't visit him once after her wasps did their work. And even though he never confronted her about it, it panged her to know that she had failed him as a friend when he was in a circumstance that was her fault in the first place. And she called him cowardly.

He understood. Itachi had taken the chain and its links with nimble fingers, and fastened the piece around his neck by the clasps with little effort. "I'll always wear it, then. It will make up for lost time. Thank you."

His acceptance had chipped away at her guilt, and it showed in the way her face softened. The girl nodded once, a smile brightening her features. For that sparing moment Itachi hadn't resisted the emotions that rose in his chest at the sight of her. Happy. How long had it been since he could recognize a feeling like that from her?

_Too long_, reasoned the youth, who moved so precariously that as she watched him Asami felt as though she would fall to pieces before his palms could land on her skin. Anticipating the contact wasn't as paralyzing as the actual sensation itself.

But he hesitated. That moment left a gap that was immediately filled with doubt. Her eyes were closed. Her mouth was warm. She was patient. He let go. She was confused.

"If you don't mind I'd like to sleep downstairs. The walk home will only wear me down, and I - -"

"No I understand," She cut him off, huffing sharply before stalking off to one of her boxes. In it she found a blanket and pillow, and quickly dropped them off in his arms. "Please. My house is yours. You know where everything is."

In no time she had managed to guide him outside her door. He fumbled for something to say, but could only manage her name. "Asami –"

"- Goodnight." The door was shut. He had what he wanted. On the other side was a girl pacing furiously, muttering to herself about being stupid and how she'd never like a boy ever again. She flopped onto her bed, still huffing and puffing, and squeezed her eyes shut in hopes that sleep would come. Asami had managed to dose off into a light slumber for maybe an hour before waking up again. And when she fell to sleep again she found herself roused again at two am. Her initial frustration at the plain-faced rejection she received slowly filled her bones again.

Asami sprang from bed and abandoned her room, rushing downstairs and crossing the living room. She kept her eyes away from the sleeping figure that was the source of her wrath and kept in stride. The girl opens the cabinets, fingering the boxes of miscellaneous treats and goods. She had searched through her entire kitchen twice before settling on midnight breakfast. Eggs and pancakes would do.

She had to have known that the persistent sizzling of pans and clang of dishware would alert anyone, but it still made her a little hot sensing Itachi peering inside of the kitchen at her back. While turning to stir the pancake mix left at the table she briefly glances towards him. Shirtless, he was, standing against the doorframe with a drab look on his face. It seemed he hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep, either.

"I can't sleep." He said, his voice hardly overcoming the clattering noise of her mixing spoon.

"Join the club." Asami flips the pancake with a vigor that should have sent it through the ceiling. But it lands safely in the hot pan. Itachi merely watches her storm through her kitchen. She felt him watching, but decided to ignore his presence. She felt no desire to feel imprudent again.

While she concentrated on the fizzling of seven bacon strips on another pan, she could hear a quiet sigh from behind her, then the growing sound of bare feet padding across the cold floor. Slipping beside her with a pan was Itachi, who borrowed that look of concentration again. She stared at him with a lofted brow, noticing an egg in his hand. He cracks the shell sharply then aims the contents on the hot pan before encasing it with a lid.

She wasn't shy about her confused expression, but decides to mind her business. Maybe he was hungry? It didn't seem too fair to cook food and not bother asking if he was hungry, especially considering all the work he did around the house. But she didn't. He was more than capable of taking care of himself.

But she couldn't help but study him while he watched the pan, dead silent, waiting on _something_. Just as the bacon finished frying, she watched him dramatically remove the top. Smoke billows out, and when it clears, he narrows his eyes down at the egg before taking it out, putting it on a plate, then holding another egg in hand like some sort of culinary arsenal. He cracks and pours it again, then shuts it under the lid.

Asami speculates what he's doing while still moving, grabbing an egg to scramble for her own enjoyment. Just as she turns on the fire for her individual pan his eyes sift over to her and he quickly grips her wrist before she can crack the egg.

"Hey!" She fumes.

"Don't. I'm making your eggs." _What? _She wanted to protest but his face was so stern that she was certain if she refused he'd turn into stone right then and there. "Just wait."

He let go of her wrist, then slowly plucked the egg from her fingers, settling it back into the carton. Itachi slipped back into concentration.

She paused. ". . . Itachi –"

The boy lifts his hand. "I must do this." Intensity makes his eyes shine and he quickly uncovers the pan. Inside, a perfectly round egg sits at the center. His eyes widen and he peers over to further inspect it. The budding hope is crushed. In frustration, he quickly places the egg on another plate and tries again, this time waiting a few moments longer before splitting the egg and promptly closing the pot.

Asami shuffles around him to look down at the two eggs, who seemed both perfectly edible. The most notable difference was that the second was circular, as the other had broiled into a more organic shape.

"Ah, they're wonderful."

"Don't eat that." He said curtly. She glances up at him.

"Why not?"

His face seemed to tense. "They're, not good enough."

"Huh? Itachi, they're perfect!" She looked at the well-rounded one, and by the second glance noticed the tiny bubble that was near the edge of the white. A sigh. "Besides I –"

"No. Just wait." He was going somewhere with this. She was sure it was to insanity but he wouldn't have it any other way. So she obeyed, watching the event unfold.

The moment came. His eyes lifted, and they had transitioned to his sharigan. Quickly, he lifts the top and steam blurs her vision. Fanning the smoke with her hand, she peers into the pan as he stands completely motionless. The egg is relatively perfect – except the yolk has spilled by the tiniest bit into the white.

Itachi slides this egg into another plate in haste, holstering another egg and approaching the stove with more energy than before.

"This time. . . !" He says sharply to himself.

"But, Itachi!" She chases behind him, but it's too late. He's already cracked another egg. "I don't like my eggs fried."

The kitchen falls silent. Both of them stand beside each other, staring down at the messy drizzle of egg inside of the pan. Defeat shadows his face. She looks up at him, completely mute. There seems to be a draft that blows through the well-insulated home.

She takes the spatula out of his hand and helps herself, manipulating the yolk into a heart-shape and letting it cook. Asami puts all four eggs inside of the same plate, and guides him to a chair. Itachi, still at a loss of what to say, sits before plates of eggs, bacon and pancakes. Asami stands at his side, unsure of what to say. She feels terrible guilt, having watched him go through such lengths to make her an egg. But as she reflects, a small laugh escapes her. Her hand claps against her mouth, but by then she's shivering in a fit of giggles.

Itachi was at first confused, but found himself fighting the urge to laugh himself. The airy sound had only encouraged Asami's chuckling, and they both stared at each other, and the breakfast, unable to keep a straight face. He pushed his hair back from over his eyes before the sable strands fell along his face. Asami used the edge of the table to support her weight. Now calm again, she cleared her throat, and quietly picked through the different plates, eating timidly.

He was sorry. She was, too.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** I am waaaay behind on updating! My birthday was two weeks ago so I haven't really been rushing to come online or update, so I'm very sorry. This and another chapter will be posted Wednesday to make up for lost time.

Late night cravings had meant oversleeping. Asami hadn't remembered clambering up the stairs to bed, but she gathered the open balcony doors could mean only one thing.

Rolling out of bed, she walks towards the ajar glass doors, and peers outside. A soft frown takes her face. It was raining.

"The festival was supposed to be today. . ." It was an annual event that she, Itachi, Shisui and the others would attend almost every year. And this had been gradually turning into such a good year. She didn't understand why of all days it had to rain.

Nevertheless, Asami showered and dressed, tying her hair up as to avoid a frizzy-humid nightmare later, and ran out the door under a floral umbrella. They had planned to meet at the ramen place in the town square, so she took the chance to see if anyone would be there. On her walk there, she noticed that the streets hadn't been as barren as she figured the rain would make them, especially once she entered town.

An odd feeling crept on her slowly, hearing the quiet voices murmuring to each other. A big secret that she clearly wasn't in on. Or rather, something that she hadn't found out for herself yet. Far away, she could see a few figures sitting at the stand that she didn't know, and thought to veer off to the Uchiha district until she saw Go. He was standing under the rain, with no concern of the downpour soaking through his hair and clothes. But this wasn't odd – this was just Go.

What was strange was upon greeting him, his normally even composure was shades darker.

Something had happened. Something terrible.

Shisui Uchiha was found dead, not far from his own district. The Konoha was grief-stricken. Asami was in disbelief when hearing the news. It didn't make sense. None of it. The story sounded fabricated, and like her clans horrible scandals, full of holes. But reality struck her when she saw his family and Usami in hysteria. It was too much to accept.

The funeral was a dreadful experience. All of their friends were there. Usami turned to Asami to hold on to, to her surprise. But even then, after seeing his face for the last time, and placing flowers and saying a prayer for him, none of it had really touched her core. Even when she hadn't seen Itachi.

Asami had disappeared from the crowd of mourners after the service, and found herself crossing that familiar bed of grass, tracing the path through the shrubs and trees, beyond the training grounds and into the clearing where the small waterfall roared. Its rushing waters echoed in her memories. His face. Shisui's smile. Already, she wasn't sure if she could properly recall what his voice sounded like. And the thought of soon forgetting those important pieces of him wrung her heart. A sob tore through her small body. She caged herself in her own arms, doubling over, squeezing her eyes in failed hopes to lock away the incessant tears. Cries were searing her lungs. Her throat felt charred and abused. _Where are you? Where are you to make sense of this? _She cried and cried and shouted and swore. It wasn't enough. It wasn't fair. It wouldn't be _okay_. Why Shisui?

"Give him back. Take someone else. . ." She felt a strong stitch of guilt, yearning for him after all of this time. But she would always love Shisui in a way that surpassed a desire for love in return. Something that surpassed longing and jealousy. She'd live through losing it again to have it again. Shisui was her friend. One of her greatest. And now. . . "Give him back. _Give him back_."

Someone had found her, and carefully brought her into their arms. It wasn't the comforting smell of honey and spice she came to know embracing her. It was something else. Go. He managed to find her. He brought her back.

Go had held her closely as they visited his home with the others. She couldn't stomach going into his room to touch his things. When she saw images of him she quickly averted her eyes. Usami had even come to her side, filling the gap for Go when he decided to see Shisui's room to grieve in his own way. Somehow, Usami was calm. She urged Asami to eat, cleaned her face and held her hand.

No one knew where Itachi was. If he were there, at any point, he never showed himself. Shisui's parents searched for him obstinately. His absence sprouted concern within the town, and eventually suspicion within the clan. He was the last to see Shisui. And allegedly, his eyes were missing upon finding his body. It was very easy to feed into the speculations of the town but Asami forced them out of her head. Even when it didn't make sense to, she ignored Usami, and gossiping Uchiha clans folk, and everyone who dared feed into the suspicions. She would find out when she saw him. He would tell her the truth.

But as she tired herself searching for him so she could find peace with answers, he seemed all the more evasive. She found herself rushing to his doorstep too frequently, sitting with Sasuke and Mikoto for hours until the late hour called her away. For convenience, and for the sake of her parents, Asami opted to stay back home for those few days. And it was relieving; home alone in her townhouse Asami couldn't shake the nightmares by herself. It was comforting to have a sister come rushing to your aid in the middle of the night.

On the fateful day that she decided to fill her time with something besides Itachi's whereabouts, is where she found him. He was coming from the front gates, treading a quiet side street. The very one she used to find her way back home. Upon seeing him, she stopped. He didn't dare look at her, or slow his gait.

When he was only a few sparing paces from her, she shouted his name. His feet stopped. Itachi's eyes fell upon her face, studying her features. The knitted brows and shaky gaze. He thought she might have lunged at him for a cheap shot.

Who was this person who stood before her? Itachi had never looked this worn, this defeated. So encased in a shell of himself that whoever she must have known those weeks ago could have just been a ghost. And here was its corpse – wandering the world aimlessly, imposing itself as the true Itachi Uchiha. He carried a look of impatience. She wasn't sure that anything she could would get through to him.

"Where have you been?" The words sounded nothing like a question. She said it like she already knew the answer. In truth she knew nothing of his whereabouts.

He didn't say a word.

"You weren't there." Her voice cracks. Her fingers curl into fists. "You weren't there to say goodbye to Shisui. . . How – why would you. . ."

Her efforts fizz out. Useless. Nothing had changed in his expression. He waits for a moment, then starts to walk again. When he's only a breath away from her, a million thoughts race through her mind. She feels inclined to grab him by the shirt, yank him back and demand answers. She _said _she would get answers. And yet here she was, letting him walk away. She didn't seem to unlock until he was no longer near. Completely gone. Asami turns around, and heads back to her old home.


End file.
